Defeat of DREAM Act a Setback for the United States

Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement following the Senate’s failure to pass DREAM Act:

“By failing to pass the DREAM Act, the Senate chose to perpetuate a grave injustice that punishes children for the acts of their parents while depriving our nation of the services of young people who seek nothing more than to fully join and contribute to the only nation they’ve ever known. This is both un-American and shortsighted.

In a less polarized climate, passage of the DREAM Act would have been a no-brainer. It would have provided undocumented children and young adults with a pathway to citizenship provided they attend college or serve in our military, thereby contributing to the greater good of our society. Collectively, the would-be DREAMers demonstrate an exceptional work ethic, an aptitude for learning, and a spirit of volunteerism – in short, everything that America values. Yet our Senate would have these young people continue to live at the margins of our society.

The Senate should have followed the lead of the House in voting for a policy that was both just and beneficial to the United States.

While no substitute for the comprehensive immigration reform that our country must have, the DREAM Act would have been a significant step forward in rationalizing our immigration policy and recognizing the vital contributions that undocumented immigrants make to our society.”