Back in the 1960’s Pasadena, California ran Citizenship Classes. Along with the classes new immigrants were also required to have a sponsor before being given a green card. Perhaps returning to this strategy could solve our current immigration impasse.
What if all new immigrants were required to take a class on living in the USA and pass a test before being given a permanent green card and that they were also required to post a bond that would ensure that they would not become wards of the state for five years.
Certainly the bonding requirement could be the last piece of a compromise on ensuring that the DACA kids can be allowed to stay.
The bonds, along with the government fee, would be collected and set by bail bond companies and insurance companies. Individuals, immigrant welfare groups, charities, religious organizations and employers would all be willing to post the bonds. If the bonded individual became a recipient of public welfare the bonding company would be liable for the expense plus an administrative fee. There would have to be a capitalization requirement for the bonding companies.
So here is our proposal for for solving the problem of the DACA extension:
The DACA kids get green cards over a few years but they have to post a bond that ensure they won’t become wards of the state and the conservatives gets money for the wall (we can euphemistically call it “enhanced border security”)
This will ensure conservative that the welfare system won’t be burdened by the newly enfranchised and will enable us to test the bonding idea. If successful this will set up a solution to the much more difficult and contentious issue of the undocumented adults.