Today, as Congress returns from Thanksgiving recess to resume its lame duck session, a full plate of hefty issues awaits it. And amongst those issues, is one that thousands of students around the country are anxiously watching – the possible passage of the long-debated DREAM Act.
For a decade now, legislation to grant legalized status to young people who were brought to this country as children without documentation by their parents has been batted around by the House and Senate. Various attempts have been met with no success, yet, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed to make passage of the current version of the DREAM Act a top priority during the remainder of this session of Congress.
Many see this commitment as Reid’s recognition that it was the overwhelming support of Latino voters that ensured his victory in this recent election. Whatever the reason, by all accounts, the Senate’s passage of this immigration bill is seen as a long shot by political analysts.
Numerous business, military, religious and civic leaders have urged passage of this bill which would allow these undocumented students to qualify for “conditional permanent residency” if they complete two years of college or military service and meet certain other criteria.
As the Los Angeles Times describes these students, they are “The student body president at Cal State Fresno. The drum major at UCLA. Student senators, class presidents, team captains and club officers at community colleges.”
Even the conservative Wall Street Journal called on Republicans to support the DREAM Act calling such action, “in the interest of the country.”
However, some Republicans are actively mounting opposition to the bill. Knowing that chances for passage are even slimmer next year when they control the House, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) in a message to fellow Republicans, “warned” them that the measure could provide legal status to people convicted of “marriage fraud or drunk driving.”
In order to make it to the president’s desk, the bill will need the support of at least some Republicans in the Senate and passage in the House of Representatives before Congress recesses for the year.
No date for the vote has been set, but it could come as early as today.
This needs to happen NOW!