Senate Fails to Pass DREAM Act, Again
Today, the Senate failed to pass the Development, Relief and Education for Minors (DREAM) Act.
The DREAM Act would have provided undocumented immigrant youth whose parents brought them to the U.S. with a path to citizenship if they pursue higher education or serve in the military for at least two years.
Currently, undocumented immigrant youth are ineligible for financial aid or private scholarships, making higher education unnecessarily difficult. Many of these undocumented immigrant youth moved to the U.S. when they were too young to have had any control over the decision to enter the U.S. illegally.
Many civil rights organizations including The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights support the bill because it would ensure that children who have worked hard, graduated from high school, and have been model citizens receive the opportunity to pursue the American dream and contribute to society.
“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,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference. “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.”