Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says his views on how to treat the children of illegal immigrants have evolved since he once sponsored a bill to grant them some of the benefits of U.S. citizenship. Twelve years ago, Grassley cosponsored the so-called Dream Act which would have granted permanent residency to the children of undocumented workers if they went to school or joined the military.
Since then, he’s changed his tune. “Evolved more against it than for it,” Grassley said of his view on the issue. “You can’t help but have a great deal of sympathy…particularly the younger the kids are, being brought over here, violating our laws, crossing the border illegally to come to America. It’s not the kids’ fault.”
But Grassley voted against a similar Dream Act two years ago. Grassley said he came to see the inconsistency of giving what he calls “amnesty” to the kids, without an all-encompassing immigration bill. Grassley questions whether President Obama had the authority to issue his executive order last week stopping the deportation of the children of illegal immigrants.