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Harry Reid Steps Up on DREAM Act
Senate Majority Leader Pushes to Move Critical Immigration Bill
WASHINGTON - July 27 - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is embracing the need to move on the DREAM Act this year, providing a shot of momentum to a measure that enjoys bipartisan support. If enacted, the DREAM Act would serve as an important step towards comprehensive immigration reform.
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America's Voice, "In pushing for the DREAM Act, Senator Reid is doing the right thing. We all know that comprehensive immigration reform is the only way to fix our nation's dysfunctional immigration system once and for all. But the fact is, not one Republican is currently willing to work with Democrats on a comprehensive proposal because of election year politics. Senator Reid's support for the DREAM Act - an immigration reform measure authored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) that would allow thousands of young people to earn legal immigration status and eventually citizenship if they go to college or serve in the military - gives the measure new momentum that could lead to its enactment this year."
Senator Reid gets the stakes at play when it comes to the DREAM Act, recently saying, "I am happy to do the DREAM Act." He met with DREAM Act eligible young people in Las Vegas; he made remarks about the need for the DREAM Act at Netroots Nation on the same day his office received 20,000 petitions in favor of DREAM; and he is meeting today with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to discuss moving forward on DREAM.
Said Sharry, "Pursuing the American dream is a core value of our nation, and DREAM Act students embody these aspirations. Our broken immigration laws are getting in the way of them realizing their full potential, and Congress should clear the way now so they can achieve it."
Background on the DREAM Act
The DREAM Act is bipartisan legislation that would enable high-achieving young people to continue their success and achieve the American Dream. Specifically, the DREAM Act gives eligible young people who were brought to the U.S. as children the opportunity to resolve their immigration status and work towards citizenship. To move from being undocumented to being a U.S. citizen, those eligible will have to pass background checks and be of good moral character, graduate from high school, and go on to complete additional requirements related to attending college or serving in the military.
The legislation is supported by leaders in education, the military, business, and religious orders including the Evangelical movement, the Jewish community, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It also has broad bipartisan support in Congress, including lead sponsors Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), and Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL). The public supports the DREAM Act as well - a June 2010 national poll conducted for First Focus found that support for the legislation cuts across regional and party lines with 70% overall support, 60% support from Republicans and 80% support from Democrats.
For more information
on DREAM, visit: http://nilc.org/immlawpolicy/
5 Comments so far
Show AllFifty years ago I served in the Army with men from Hungary who fled their country after the Russian invasion. In Europe, they enlisted in the the U.S. Army for five years, after which they were eligible to apply for American citizenship.
Was that program discarded?
Sheepherder, these are very different times. There is no logic to what is happening in Arizona, except the logic of hatred.
This is a chance for a little and an important part of America to be set straight and includes a military option, previously unavailable to our youth.
May a higher power grant its peace and rescue these gifted young Americans.
What we need is sensible actions from our politicians to fix America's broken immigration system. What we need is the DREAM Act. For too long have these kids been told no. You guys need to wait, get in back of the line. They are told , don’t you understand the word illegal, get out of my country. What makes them illegal?
What is it to follow their parents guidance or was it succeeding and embracing a country that wasn't doesn't want them here. For too long have talented youth who solemnly wish to contribute to America have been told no. Now is the time free the DREAM Act.
This is the time of the DREAM Act. DREAM students want to join the military, they want to educate themselves, and ultimately contribute to the country.
As important as it is to do the Dream Act it is naive to think that it will pass, and that if does will people be able to endure its consequences......that is this will further jeopardize CIR and perhaps never happen. SO the american thing to do it is not to settle for a small piece that will kill the rest of it but to fight for it so that there is a fair chance for everybody. IT IS NOT FAIR for other illegals that have been waiting longer than the students and already contributed to the US not to have a similar chance? indeed it would be unamerican........
Once the Dream Act beneficiaries are citizens, they can bring in their parents. In those cases where the parents are already here, they'd move from illegal status to Green Card holders. This would move our country toward greater respect for the law. This group would no longer need to "borrow" a stranger's Social Security number when being hired.
The DREAM Act does hava the problem of encouraging split families. The main beneficiaries would get conditional residence immediately, but the parents wouldn't get their Green Cards for years.