Rubio Working On Immigration Proposal ? The Talk Radio News ...

By Staff|3/30/2012 1:57 PM

By Lily Benitez De Luna

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is reportedly in talks with other Senate Republicans to put forth a comprehensive immigration reform plan later this Spring.

Reports suggest that Rubio is currently working on what some are referring to as the Republican version of the DREAM Act. The bill, originally proposed by Democrats, would allow undocumented college graduates and military service members to attain citizenship.

In an interview with Fox News Latino, Rubio, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba, said that he believes the U.S. immigration system is in desperate need of repair.

?I think that this country needs to have a legal immigration reform? our Visa program is broken,? Rubio said. ?The pathway to citizenship is to apply to enter through the legal immigration process,? he added.

When asked if he supported in-state tuition for undocumented students, Rubio explained that he used to favor that in his home state of Florida, but does not anymore.

?Unfortunately it became harder to support that law because of the way the immigration process began to unravel,? Rubio said.

?The problem is that all of the existing policy proposals that are out there like the DREAM Act create amnesty?I believe we can deal with these kids and these circumstances without making all of the DREAM Act?s mistakes,? Rubio said in an interview with the National Review.

Rubio noted that no specific proposal has been presented yet, and though he hopes his plan will receive bipartisan support, he ?doubt[s] it.? Rubio?s pessimism comes with reason as Democrats are already expressing their disapproval.

?I am going to do everything in my power to stop a watered-down version of the DREAM Act,? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said this week.

Rubio believes Democrats are using the legislation simply as a ?political tool.?

?The Democrats and the Left are terrified of losing this issue?they want to use it for political gain,? he said.

Representatives for both Rubio and Reid did not immediately respond to TRNS?s request for comment.

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