Itās been two months since President Trump gave Congress halfā a year to get š”him a bill to grant some legal šstatus to š·the āDreamers.ā Time is getting tight.
At risk are several hundred thousand young people brought into the United States illegally as children, whoāve grown up here and are mostly strangers to the nations where they hold citizenship. Many came āinto the lightā to take President Barack Obamaās offer of legal status ā wź¦ithout realizing that Obama himself had long argued, correctly, that no president has the legal power to make that offer.
With federal judges set to rule the Obama program unconstitutional, Trump annošøunced heād be rescinding it in six months and called on lawmakers to ā¤ą²use that window to find a humane, legal solution.
From the start, the question has been whether Democrats would stand up anšd back a Republican-led compromise ā and the question is still open, since members of the minority party have been slošøw to rally behind the Succeed Act, offered by several Senate Republicans, to give the Dreamers a legal way to work and go to school in America.
Well, Democrats now have another chance: Last week, 17 House Republicans held a press conference to demand Dreamer action by the end of the year. It was a broad coalition, with moderates like New Yorkās John Faso and Pete King, as well as more conservaštive members such as Joe Barton of Texas and Darrel Issš³a of California.
āNo bill is going to be perfecāØt, but inaction is just not acceptable,ā said Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), the groupās leader.
āThese young peoš °ple are contributing in significant ways to our communities,ā added Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.). āThey have pledged allegiance to our flag and they are a part of this country.ā
Itās time for some House Democrats to step up and publicly promise to work with these Republicans. Itāll mean compromise, such ašs supporting more funds for border security and accepting that the legislatioā n wonāt grant full, immediate citizenship.
But a refusal to compromise is a declaration that ꦬyouāre OK treatingš these young people as cannon fodder in the partisan war over immigration policy. Whereās the idealism in that?