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Steve King Resumes His Attacks On DREAMers

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Iowa’s Steve King is no stranger to disgusting comments about immigrants. He’s done everything from drawing a parallel between immigrants and livestock, to calling his comparison between immigrants and dogs “a compliment.”

But, King has always focused his attention on one specific group of immigrants: DREAMers. Remember that whole DREAMers have “calves the size of cantaloupes” because they’re “hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert” thing? We didn’t — and it now it looks like he’s back at it.

In response to widespread calls for the incoming Trump Administration and Congress to protect DACA and DREAMers, King claimed on CNN this morning that there “are some awfully bad people” among DREAMers. They “go on up to the age of 37 or 38 or maybe older,” King continued. “And that’s if they tell the truth.”

According to CNN, when pressed to point to specific examples of these co-called “awfully bad people,” King, of course, couldn’t. We don’t know who he’s been hanging out with lately, but we do want to let him know about some people in particular so he can finally get his facts straight.

There’s DREAMer Jirayut, who in 2014 made history as the first openly-undocumented student accepted to the UCSF Medical School. Jirayut is today a medical professional, tending to patients and improving the health of his community. But the end of DACA threatens to put a stop to his bright future.

There’s DREAMer Asael, who felt hopeless after finding out he was undocumented. But that changed with DACA, becoming reinvigorated and a 4.0 student. Today he mentors middle school students, helps out at a homeless shelter, and devotes his time to assisting disadvantaged families in his community. If Asael were to be deported, countless lives would be affected in addition to his.

There’s DREAMer Rey, who, after becoming the first member of his family to go to college, entered the priesthood after graduating from Mundelin Seminary magna cum laude with a Masters in Divinity. Today, Father Rey leads his own congregation. If Father Rey were to lose his DACA, it would be a tragedy for an entire congregation and community.

And there’s DREAMer Elizabeth, who skyrocketed into national attention following her confrontation with Rick Santorum.  Because of DACA, Elizabeth was able to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, and has since become a mentor to young students seeking similar career paths. Without DACA, Elizabeth’s ongoing contributions and mentoring to young people are now at risk.

Last week, a new poll showed that by more than a 2:1 margin, 58%-28%, Americans oppose an effort to repeal the DACA for DREAMers. And during the past few weeks, we’ve seen DREAMers and their allies standing up to talk about the contributions they make to the country they love.

It’s clear that the public — no matter what kind of tales Steve King is making up — is right there behind them. And instead of spewing off distortions and untruths, maybe it’s time for King to listen.