Cantor Officially Backs Amnesty For DREAMers Who Enlist

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor officially endorsed granting amnesty to illegal alien DREAMers if they enlist in the U.S. Military in comments a high-ranking operative who works for him made to Breitbart News.

“Mr. Cantor views military service as the highest service one can perform for our nation and if a young man or woman was brought to this country as a child and knows no other home and wants to serve our nation in uniform, he supports making that possible,” Cantor political adviser Ray Allen said.

The proposal in question would grant permanent legal status to illegal aliens who entered the country under the age of 15 before December 2011 if they enlist in the military — part of a class of individuals who have been nicknamed “DREAMers” in reference to the DREAM Act which would provide amnesty for all of them. A “dishonorable” discharge from the military would void eligibility.

Allen’s comments came in response to criticism from Cantor’s primary challenger Dave Brat made in an interview with Breitbart News. Brat called out Cantor for his role in trying to push a secretive amnesty plan through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a plan Breitbart News first revealed to the public the week before last.

Cantor’s support had previously been confirmed by both the proposal’s main proponent, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), and the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), but Cantor himself had not previously backed the policy himself. Cantor is not a co-sponsor of Denham’s bill.

“This week the breaking news is Cantor was trying to push [amnesty legislation] through the Defense Authorization bill,” Brat said in his interview with Breitbart News. “If he gets that in, it allows the Senate to go through with that language… once you allow DREAM Act kids in , the thing we ought to do next is put them in the military.”

Cantor’s office has downplayed the majority leader’s role in the effort, with an aide for Cantor telling Breitbart News: “This policy issue is still being discussed at the committee level, and no commitments have been made on a path forward or the process if it were to move forward.”

But Denham said Cantor was “very” supportive of the effort, and last week, McKeon said Cantor had made a “pledge” Cantor to Denham to help enact the policy.

Allen also said Cantor opposes the controversial “Gang of Eight” bill that passed the Senate last year.

“Congressman Cantor has repeatedly said he opposes the Senate immigration bill and their amnesty efforts and will not allow any House bill to be hijacked by liberal Senate Democrats,” Allen said. “Pro-amnesty forces have been continually protesting Mr. Cantor because of his opposition to the Senate-passed amnesty bill.”