Response: Michelle Malkin Talks Down to TX Hunger Strikers

TX immigrant youth preparing to deliver check to Senator Hutchison

During a talk given at the University of Texas at Austin , Michelle Malkin put into question the contributions DREAM Act beneficiaries could make to this country. In her own words, she said:

“You know, based on their debate skills, I am not sure how much they even have to contribute to this country. And you can quote me on that.”

Well, more than quote we will challenge her accuracy and put our money where our mouth is-something Michelle Malkin would be wise to do as well.

The conservative blogger’s comments come in a timely manner to discuss the economic imperative of the DREAM Act. In fact, on Thursday, just two days after Malkin's bullying comments, the Congressional Budget office released their estimate that the DREAM Act would increase revenues by $2.3 billion in the 2011-2020 period and even after accounting for spending, enacting the DREAM Act would reduce deficits by about $1.4 billion over the 2011-2020 period.   

She told Him Ranjit, an undocumented biomedical engineering student on campus, to get to the back of the line stating that he could wait and that she “would rather expend limited resources deporting”. Well, no, Him cannot wait. He was on his 9^th day of a hunger strike when Malkin suggested that his situation was not urgent. He asked for real and pragmatic solutions other than the DREAM Act and Michelle Malkin offered none.  I do believe others like the families of DREAM Act eligible youth who have committed suicide and the Reverend Lorenza Andrade Smith who is currently detained and on her 10^th day of a hunger strike for the DREAM Act would also disagree with Malkin’s analysis of non-urgency. This denial of urgency is the biggest damage that people like Michelle Malkin and those who choose to align themselves with her do to our youth. I would suggest these people check their moral compass.

Furthermore, resources may be limited for enforcing the border but Congress sure does try to alleviate this by passing $600 million border enforcement bill. Additionally, the Obama administration goes on a deportation rampage and deports a record number of people. So, how Michelle Malkin can think it is okay to tell undocumented youth to wait is beyond me.  

Even with all the misinformation that Malkin has been known to spread through paranoid and inflated language, perhaps the most ridiculous misinformation is that undocumented youth are not being chased down and deported. She responded to Him Ranjit in the following way:

“You get your education; I am not bothering you; and guess what? There is no ICE agent chasing you down right now.”

Again, home grown talent and DREAM Act eligible youth like Saad Nabeel would disagree. Saad was deported to Bangladesh in 2009 during his freshman year at the University of Texas in Arlington after having lived in the US for 15 years. He now has to deal with the consequences of our broken immigration system and returning to a country he barely knows. In his own words, here is his story. 

The point is that Michelle Malkin offers no solutions. Rather, she thrives on bullying tactics that only polarize the debate and take us nowhere. Whichever group drank the Michelle Malkin tea and decided to bring her to campus is certainly not even worth mentioning. Next, please.

The fact is that our lives are on the line here. It is now the 27^th day of the Texas hunger strike and suicide notes keep coming in. We cannot wait any longer. Senator Hutchison must take clear steps to move forward with the DREAM Act in the lame duck session. Her concerns have already been address and expectations have been met with the new DREAM Act bill. As immigrant youth and allies have shown, not only in Texas but also across the country, we are willing to risk arrest and deportation to stand up for what is right. We expect the Senator to have the same courage.