The first Senate judiciary committee concerning the Gang of Eight immigration reform bill started this morning. It was low on the news totem pole with the massive manhunt taking place for the second suspect in the Boston Marathon explosion.
But Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-ID) used the opportunity to connect the dots:
“We are here trying to understand why these events have occurred,” Grassley said. “It’s hard to understand that there are people in this world that want to do Americans harm, so this hearing is an opportunity to refocus on the issues at hand and the importance of remaining vigilant and secure in our homeland.”
Several critics on Twitter used Boston Marathon attack as time peg to condemn immigration reform:
@marcorubio given that #BostonBombers were foreign students on visas your #amnesty push is even more reprehensible. Goes for #GangOf8 too.
— Daria DiGiovanni (@dariaanne) April 19, 2013
But, judging from current reports, the two suspects were not on student visas. The suspect at large, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is a naturalized American citizen. He received a scholarship, was registered at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and interested in studying medicine.
Prior to this week he would have been the type of immigrant both sides of the aisle want to keep and recruit into the country.
One of the main concerns is the Gang of Eight’s bill isn't serious enough when it comes to security.
As the debate and manhunt continue, the status of these immigrants might take a back seat to the larger conversation: Will immigration reform make our country safer?
