DACA update: DREAMers and non-US citizens hired as police officers

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DREAMers DACA non-US citizens police officers

DACA update: DREAMers and non-US citizens being hired as police officers

In what is becoming a disturbing trend, DACA recipients (DREAMers) and other non-US citizens are being hired as police officers across America.

Back in January, California began the new year with a new state law that changed the qualifications to become a police officer in California. Under the new law, anyone who can legally work in the state under federal law, can be a police officer, regardless of citizenship (via CBS8.com):

Prior to Jan. 1, 2023, you had to be a United States citizen or permanent resident to qualify for the job.

Now, that’s no longer the case. Anyone who is legally authorized to work in the state of California, under federal law, with the proper green card or visa, is eligible to become a police officer.

State Senator Nancy Skinner is the author of Senate Bill 960, which changed the requirement.

To make things perfectly clear, Skinner said this in no way applies to undocumented workers. She said a person has to have full legal work authorization, under federal law; people who pay taxes and have every ability to work legally in the U.S. (Emphasis mine)

In April, the Illinois legislature made a similar change, but only after amendments were added to ensure potential hires could own a gun. That’s right, the same state that recently passed a series of laws designed to disarm Illinois citizens wants to make sure that DACA recipients, DREAMers, and other non-US citizens serving as police officers are able to own a gun (via Police1.com):

A bill aimed at clearing a path for recipients of a federal immigration program [DACA] to become police officers — and at the same time helping departments that say they are struggling with recruitment — is moving forward with bipartisan support in the Illinois Legislature, but only after being amended to make clear that potential hires need to get federal approval to carry a gun.

Federal law generally bars noncitizens from carrying guns unless it’s for “official use,” meaning police officers who are not U.S. citizens would not be allowed to carry the weapons off-duty.

“I know a lot of people label this as only for Latinos, but this is not for only Latinos. This is for a lot of different immigrants,” Rep. Barbara Hernandez said. “They’re coming here illegally or were already brought here at an early age and they’re not aware that they’re illegal. And they deserve an opportunity to apply and become an officer.” (Emphasis mine)

Of course, Democrats are making these decisions, but Republicans and faux conservatives have supported and fought for DACA and amnesty/citizenship for DREAMers at the federal level for years.

In a December 2016 Time Magazine interview for their “Person of the Year” edition, president-elect Trump was asked about the millions of DREAMers in the country and his promise to deport millions of illegals:

“We’re going to work something out that’s going to make people happy and proud. They got brought here at a very young age, they’ve worked here, they’ve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen.” (Emphasis mine)

A few months after his inauguration, Trump took his first steps to protect DREAMers and non-US citizens and save DACA when he issued an in-name-only executive order “rescinding” Obama’s order. But instead of rescinding it, Trump gave Congress six months to make it permanent . . . or else. In other words, he lied. In a series of tweets at the time, Trump said:

In January 2018, Trump channeled his inner Jeb Bush when he introduced what he called “a bill of love” to fix DACA and provide citizenship to DREAMers. In a meeting with Democrats at the time, Trump said that his position on DACA would be whatever Congress tells him it should be, and he agreed to sign any DACA deal brought to his desk because he had “confidence” Congress would come up with something “really good.” He also promised to “take the heat” from his base for lying about ending DACA.

When the Supreme Court agreed in late 2019 to hear a challenge by the Trump administration to a lower court ruling that blocked the “repeal” of DACA, Trump assured Democrats and DREAMers they had nothing to worry about. Trump never had to put his money where his mouth is on this one because the Supreme Court ruled in favor of DACA based on a technicality.

Trump held a meeting in March 2020 with Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio — two of the founders of the pro-amnesty Gang of Eight — along with a veritable who’s who of faux conservatives like Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Martha McSally, and Josh Hawley to save DACA. Also in attendance was Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, who had been working with Graham to create an amnesty plan and a pathway to citizenship for millions of DREAMers and other non-US citizens.

During his 2020 reelection, Trump said in a Telemundo interview that he would be signing “a very major immigration bill” within 30 days that would not only save DACA but would provide a “road to citizenship” for DREAMers already enrolled in the program. In a clear display of his ignorance of the Constitution, Trump referred to his executive order as a “bill.”

“I’m going to do a big executive order. I have the power to do it as president. And I’m going to make DACA a part of it.

“I’m going to be doing an immigration bill. One of the aspects of the bill that you will be very happy with, and that a lot of people will be, including me and a lot of Republicans, by the way, will be DACA. It gives them a road to citizenship.” (Emphasis mine)

Obviously caught in a lie, Trump decided to allow DREAMers protected by DACA to renew their status for one year.

Following the Democrat sweep in 2020, the House passed the Dream and Promise Act (DPA), giving DREAMers and non-US citizens amnesty and a pathway to citizenship.

True to form, DPA received some faux outrage from Republicans because #DemocratsAreEvil, even though these same Republicans have been fighting for DACA and amnesty for DREAMers for years.

“Biden has lost control of the U.S.-Mexico border,” Lindsey Graham said at the time. “Until he regains control, by implementing policies that work, it will be hard to do the DREAMers or anything else.

Hiring DREAMers, DACA recipients, and other non-US citizens as police officers is a threat to liberty because it marks the end of the Constitution itself. After all, why would any non-citizen, legal or not, swear an Article VI-mandated Oath to preserve, protect, and defend it when it doesn’t legally pertain to them?

In today’s America, citizens are stripped of their God-given, constitutionally protected right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness while non-citizens have them served on a silver platter.

 

David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative. He holds people of every political stripe accountable for their failure to uphold conservative values, and he promotes those values instead of political parties.

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