Oct 26 2007

DREAM Act Fails to Receive Approval in U.S. Senate

On October 24, the U.S. Senate voted 52 to 44 to not support the DREAM Act of 2007. The act was eight votes shy of being approved by the U.S. Senate. The DREAM Act, which has been introduced in and rejected by the Senate numerous times, calls for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrant students and illegal immigrants wishing to join the U.S. military. Many of the youth that would have received the advantages of the bill are children who were brought to the U.S. at very young ages and were raised in this country. Supporters of the bill, including Senators Reid (D-NV), Durbin (D-IL), Lugar (R-IN), and Hagel (R-NE), labored judiciously in support of this immigration legislation. However, as has been the case in recent past, the proposal did not receive majority support from the Senate. Further, President Bush and the White House have vocalized their lack of support for such legislation.