DREAM Act Rhetoric A “Veritable Nightmare”: Fox Resorts To Inflammatory Rhetoric To Attack Bill

In recent weeks, Fox hosts and guests have attacked the DREAM Act -- which would provide a path to legal status for certain immigrants who came to the United States as children -- with a barrage of inflammatory rhetoric.

Fox Attacks DREAM Act With Barrage Of Inflammatory Rhetoric

Jarrett: “Those Who Oppose [The DREAM Act] Call It A Veritable Nightmare.” On the November 23 edition of America Live, Fox host Greg Jarrett stated: “You know, for millions of illegals, the DREAM Act is a propitious title because it would fulfill their dream of jumping right to the front of the line and becoming U.S. citizens. Those who oppose it call it a veritable nightmare, granting amnesty right away to more than 2 million illegal immigrants, and in the end, maybe as many as 6 million or more illegals.” [America Live,11/23/10]

Gallagher's DREAM Act Analogy: “It Would Be Like Saying If One's Parent Is A Bank Robber, The Child Gets To Keep The Money And The Proceeds From The Bank Robbery.” On the November 23 America Live, Fox News contributor Mike Gallagher described the “analogy” he uses to describe the DREAM Act: “The analogy I keep using ... is that we feel sorry for these children of adults who made a bad decision and broke the law to come into the United States, but it would be like saying if one's parent is a bank robber, the child gets to keep the money and the proceeds from the bank robbery. I'm sorry, most Americans don't accept this.” Gallagher later said of the bill: “I don't think it's backdoor amnesty; I think it's front door amnesty.” [America Live, 11/23/10]

Dobbs Called DREAM Act A “Show Vote Designed To ... Pay Back Certain Advocacy Groups who have been helpful in securing a vote.” On the November 23 edition of America's Newsroom, Lou Dobbs -- whose Fox Business show starts in early 2011 -- stated that the DREAM Act would “absolutely not” pass and called it a “show vote” for Democrats “designed to, if you will, pay back certain advocacy groups who have been helpful in securing a vote.” [America's Newsroom, 11/23/10]

Guilfoyle: DREAM Act “Incentivizes Illegality.” On the November 23 O'Reilly Factor, Fox News legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle claimed that the DREAM Act “incentivizes illegality and encourages people to essentially seek an amnesty by saying, 'Sure, I'm going to be in the military.'” [The O'Reilly Factor, 11/23/10]

FAIR president: DREAM Act Is “Backdoor Amnesty” And “Full Of Loopholes For Fraud.” On November 23, Fox & Friends hosted Dan Stein, president of the anti-immigration Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) -- an organization the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated a “hate group” -- to attack the DREAM Act. Stein called the bill an “irresponsible piece of legislation” and claimed that it is a “backdoor amnesty program” that is “full of loopholes for fraud.” [Fox & Friends, 11/23/10; splcenter.org, accessed 12/6/10; splcenter.org, accessed 12/6/10]

Fox & Friends: Is The DREAM Act A “Nightmare For Hard-working Americans?” On the November 30 edition of Fox & Friends, teasing a segment on the DREAM Act, co-host Gretchen Carlson said: “Harry Reid's DREAM Act could give millions of illegal immigrants citizenship. Is the senator's dream a nightmare for hard-working Americans?” [Fox & Friends, 11/30/10]

Fox & Friends Hosts ALIPAC's Gheen To Attack DREAM Act As “A Teddy Bear With A Hand Grenade” That Will “Displace and Replace” American “Voters.” Later on November 30, Fox & Friends hosted William Gheen, president of the anti-immigrant Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), to attack the DREAM Act. During the segment, Gheen stated, “The DREAM Act amnesty, or nightmare act amnesty, is a political teddy bear with a hand grenade in it.” He later repeatedly claimed that the bill would “displace and replace” American “students,” “workers,” and “voters.” [Fox & Friends, 11/30/10]

Gheen: Americans Will “Lose The Country” If DREAM Act Passes. Gheen also said that passage of the bill would “nullif[y]” “the Tea Party movement” and would result in the “political influence of Fox network viewers being ”displaced and replaced." Gheen later claimed that if the bill passes, “you can kiss the borders of the United States good-bye” and that Americans will “lose the country.” [Fox & Friends, 11/30/10]

Fox Nation: “Shamnesty: Reid Putting The 'Lame' In 'Duck.'” In a December 1 post, Fox Nation linked to a story about Democrats attempting to advance the DREAM Act with the headline, “Shamnesty: Reid Putting The 'Lame' In 'Duck.'” [Fox Nation, 12/1/10]

Malkin Called DREAM Act “Reckless Illegal Alien Amnesty.” On the December 2 edition Fox & Friends, Fox News contributor Michelle Malkin stated, “There are so many political payoffs that are currently in the pipeline. Foremost among them, Harry Reid trying to ram through this very unpopular, expensive, and reckless illegal alien amnesty DREAM Act.” [Fox & Friends, 12/2/10]

Fox Guest Plante Accused Democrats Of “Racist Or Race-based” Politics, Supporting DREAM Act To Create A “Permanent Democrat Majority.” On the December 2 edition of America Live, guest and conservative radio host Chris Plante discussed the DREAM Act, accusing Democrats of “playing the politics of race and ethnicity” and claiming that “the fundamental architecture of Democrat politics in 2010 is essentially racist or race-based, and ethnically based.” Plante claimed the bill is “about the permanent Democrat majority” and called it “an incremental step by the Democrats toward total amnesty.” [America Live, 12/2/10]