The PROUD Act

I noticed the following goings on when i was surfing dreamactivist.org

It came to our attention last week that Representative Joe Baca was re-introducing a bill for immigrant high-school graduates called the PROUD Act or ‘People Resolved to Obtain an Understanding of Democracy Act’ (H.R. 2681).

After studying the 1-page bill, we have to conclude that the PROUD Act is not a viable alternative to the DREAM Act. We welcome a bill that does not have a military provision, benefits young people, and pushes the DREAM Act further to the Left. But what we have here is a more restrictive measure that alienates more students than the DREAM Act and doesn’t provide the necessary protections needed.

First, the age requirements are too restrictive and arbitrary. The PROUD Act would not benefit the scores of talented and hard-working students that have been working on getting legislation benefiting immigrant youth passed for so many years.

Essentially, the bill would only benefit those ‘alien minors’ who have been here from Grade 6 to 12, completed high school with a civics curriculum, and are under the age of 25 when they file their application.

This is interesting in the sense that it does provide a way for citizenship to many undocumented youth, and it rids the military portion.

However what becomes of the undocumented youths who are 26, 27,28,29? those which are more likely to have completed their college education and who it seems get the short end of the stick: been here too long to qualify for the PROUD Act, but not long enough to have applied for the 1986 Amnesty.

The PROUD Act, it seems, would create a group of youth in limbo with in a limbo.

I for one do not support this idea.

Call (202)225-6161, email and thank Joe Baca for introducing the PROUD Act and ask him to cosponsor and support the DREAM Act today.