Colin Powell is anti…anti-immigration, supports DREAM Act

Former Secretary of State and moderate Republican Colin Powell appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” recently and exclaims that Republicans should take another look at their stance on immigration. Powell, himself the son of Jamaican immigrants, said: “We can’t be anti-immigration, for example. Because immigrants are fueling this country.”

His statement lends considerable authority to the continuing opposition to Arizona’s anti immigration law, SB1070.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is hoping Democratic support of the DREAM Act, along with bipartisan backing, will help him and his party in November. That is still questionable since Hispanics currently feel the Democrats have let them down on immigration reform. But realistically, Latinos have nowhere else to turn since most conservatives want to send illegals back to their country of origin, strenuously opposing amnesty.

The DREAM Act provides a natural channel to citizenship for young illegal immigrants who will attend college for two years or enlist in the military.

Arian Campo-Flores says in his Newsweek article that “Though immigration typically ranks pretty far down the list of issues that Hispanics care most about, the level of vitriol this year has sent it back near the top.” Undoubtedly, one of the reasons President Obama decided to tackle health care reform before immigration reform. This ethnic apathy could also explain low voter turnout by Hispanics in the past.

The Dunning Letter has spoken with some Latinos who are middle class and they are 50-50 in their concern for illegals. Any non-Hispanic looks at this with the viewpoint—much similar to the past when some middle class Blacks did not support their own people—why should we care if they don’t. It is a legitimate concern and a failing only the Latino population can correct.

Colin Powell, a former general in the army, also favors the military as a means for illegals to gain citizenship, which is also endorsed by the armed forces. It is a way to strengthen the military, which already has thousands of enlistees who are not yet U.S. citizens. The Hispanic average age is just under 26, and there are 2.6 million males and 2.2 million females now living in this country age 18 to 24.

As Powell says, illegal immigrants "are doing things we need done in this country."