In Poll After Poll, the American Public Supports the DREAM Act

As
the House-passed version of the DREAM Act moves toward a Senate vote as
early as next week, new polling shows the bill's popularity among the
American people, and underscores the importance of its passage. A new
Gallup poll finds
that 54 percent of Americans support the DREAM Act. According to this
poll, Gallup's version of DREAM even has more support than the START
treaty and banning all earmarks.

According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America's Voice,
"Despite the lies and slander that continue to circulate around DREAM,
Americans recognize that this is common sense legislation that will
benefit the country. The DREAM Act has been around for ten years,
addresses a defined group of high-achieving young people, and is a win
both for the youth who would benefit and the country at large. The only
thing standing in the way of this bill becoming law is the will of a
handful of Republican senators."

The new Gallup poll shows majority support for DREAM, despite failing to
describe the program as drafted. Other polls that describe the
program's requirements more fully show even stronger support. For
example, the Gallup poll does not explain that DREAM covers a defined
group of young people who are already here in the country; it has strict
age limits and is not an on-going program. Also, the DREAM Act
includes significant fines and a rigorous application process.

A November 2010 poll conducted by Lake Research Partners found
that the DREAM Act enjoys strong support across party lines. Overall,
66 percent of American voters nationwide supported the DREAM Act,
including majorities of Democrats (81%), independents (60%), and
Republicans (57%). A poll released last summer by First Focus similarly
found
that 70 percent of Americans supported the DREAM Act, including 80
percent of Democrats and 60 percent of Republicans. Among Latino
voters, DREAM has especially strong support. In election eve polling
conducted by Latino Decisions in eight key 2010 states, 75 percent of Latino voters said passing the DREAM Act in short order was either "extremely important" or "very important."

After passing the House earlier this week on a bipartisan basis, the
DREAM Act will be taken up by the Senate in the coming days. Votes from
a handful of Republican senators are needed to turn this bill into
law. Several influential newspapers across the country called out their
home-state senators in editorials today, demanding that they support
the DREAM Act.

The Arizona Republic editorialized
that "Opposing the Dream Act is a stunning rejection of real, live
children whose just want to serve the nation they see as their homeland"
and wrote that, "Arizona's senators can decry such narrow, limited
thinking. John McCain and Jon Kyl can be leaders and help get the Dream
Act through Congress this year." Similarly, after noting the "craven
flip-flopping" of former DREAM sponsor Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Salt Lake Tribune wrote
that "Those who would gain the most from passage of the DREAM Act are
people who think, speak and act as American as so many Mayflower
descendants, yet are made to suffer for the sins of their fathers,"
while calling for the "long-overdue passage of the DREAM Act."

For more information on the DREAM Act, please visit www.americasvoiceonline.org/DREAM.