The resuscitated immigration reform bill being discussed by lawmakers could have illegal immigrants making a detour from their native land to the United States.
Unfortunately for them, the detour runs straight through Iraq.
As reported by the Boston Globe the proposal is part of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM). It would affect somewhere between 280,000 and 750,000 military age immigrants currently in the US.
Josh Bernstein, director of federal policy at the National Immigration Law Center, tried to make the proposal sound like the answer to an undocumented worker's prayers. He succeeded however in making the proposal sound creepy.
"This is a very talented generation," added Bernstein. "Many are over achievers. They are poised to make a great contribution if they are allowed. And they are not going anywhere." (Source)
It may not have been intended this way, but Bernstein's comments could be construed as being a naked attempt to feed replacement soldiers into the meat grinder that is Iraq.
So let me see if I have this straight: We'll send illegals from south of the border to a desert clime, less hospitable than their own, where they will confront angry, indigenous people bent on killing US soldiers. Should they survive they'll receive all the "benefits" that US servicemen current enjoy. These "benefits" include extended tours of duty, unexpected calls to return to the fighting; and, if they get wounded the opportunity to receive medical attention in a substandard, overcrowded medical facility.
What's not to like about a deal like that?
And, the ultimate irony is, that if they succeed in returning to this country in one piece, they'll be accused of helping to contaminate the very culture they fought for.
The US has a somewhat spotty history when it comes to enlisting the help of minorities to help fight its wars. Consider the Civil War-era Buffalo Soldiers who fought for the Union with distinction. It would be more than 80 years till the nation's Armed Services became integrated. It would be about a hundred years before descendants of those soldiers would see legislation that helped protect their democratic rights in a meaningful way.
Or how about the Japanese-Americans who elected to fight for the US cause during World War II? In many cases, they themselves or their family members had spent time in a hastily constructed internment camp because of their race. All too often, these brave soldiers had seen the property of their families ceased and exploited by others. It would take nearly four decades for them to see some measure of justice.
Is this proposal to do everything but place induction centers at the US-Mexican border really a DREAM?
Nah, more like a nightmare.