Senate majority leader Harry Reid has scheduled votes on the DREAM Act and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell for this Saturday — apparently defying the White House, which had reportedly been lobbying for the Senate to tackle the START arms control treaty first.
It was announced earlier today that Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden — a crucial vote for both the DREAM Act and DADT repeal — would be missing Senate votes “tomorrow and possibly next week” due to prostate cancer surgery, but his staff clarified this evening that he will be on the Senate floor this weekend. His absence tomorrow is for pre-surgery testing, not the surgery itself, and will not prevent him from casting DREAM and DADT votes Saturday.
DADT repeal looks like a winner Saturday, with 61 Senators pledged to vote for cloture — one more than the 60 needed. The DREAM Act faces a much tougher road, but is by no means doomed to fail.
Friday Update | Lots of news out this morning, including new announcements from several Senators on how they’ll vote. Read it all here.
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December 17, 2010 at 12:18 am
Ben Franklin
The Dream Act? Let’s call it by the name it should actually be known as: The Dream On Act! These students all knew they were the sons and daughters of illegal aliens, yet they did NOTHING to apply for citizenship! And now we’re supposed to reward them, all because their parents knowing violated US immigration laws?
If I sound bitter, it is because I am. I moved, with my family, from California to Chicago. But when we returned to California, my children, 6th generation Americans, were told they had to live in California for more than 5 years to regain in-state residency.
Is this America? Don’t the rights of American citizens trump the interests of illegal aliens and their children?
Let’s all hope this “dream on” act fails. To have it pass would be a slap in the face to any law-abiding American citizen.
December 17, 2010 at 2:05 am
readwithcare
Your comment shows exactly why we need the DREAM Act. This legislation is about making a future available to everyone in America’s next generation. That means your children right alongside our immigrant neighbors.
And while the issue of tuition for state schools is not immediately relevant for the current debate, it’s worth noting the it was the effort of DREAM students that created more accessibility in the state of CA for residency – from which citizens benefit right alongside immigrants.
You say these students “did nothing to apply for citizenship?” — that’s because no matter how excellent their English or how proudly they salute the Stars and Stripes, these young people are currently barred from applying for citizenship. The DREAM Act will fix that.
The principle that underlies the DREAM Act is that our future is stronger when we give all our youngsters the chance they deserve. That’s a vision I can get behind.
December 17, 2010 at 3:11 am
Kyla
Ben Franklin: You don’t have to be living for five years in Cali to get in-state tuition.. You simply have to prove that you’ve been living there for 12 continuous months. Stop spreading lies on the net, or get better informed, so you don’t look silly. The whole point of in-state tuition is to benefit those who intend on giving back to that state after graduation by remaining there.. People who were originally there for a year prior to starting school will usually have formed a few ties to the local community, so the schools assume that they’ll be inclined to apply for jobs locally.
Also, people who are undocumented cannot apply for citizenship (that should be logical, but I guess logic isn’t that common). Citizenship is reserved for green cards holders (permanent residents) with at least 5 years of continuous residency in the States (not counting the time they “served” under a visa, which could have been several years..
They also can’t apply for a visa that easily. Go to uscis.gov and learn the requirements for visas.. Usually people who are here w/o proper documentation are considered ineligible to apply for visas b/c they’ve already broken they law. If they’re found, they are deported and banned from re-entering the country for 10 years. The immigration system is full of flaws and makes it very complicated for people to get visas and, as I said, people who are here w/o proper authorization are banned from applying. Get your facts straight.
Also, not everyone who’s supporting the DREAM ACT came here as children of undocumented immigrants. I have a friend who came here (legally) with her dad when she was 15, but the system took so long, by the time her dad had his green card she was 21 and couldn’t automatically get her papers from him since she was considered an adult by ICE. She’ll need to get in line again and possibly wait until her dad is a citizen, then she’ll get preference. Now she’s “an illegal” while her parents are “legal.” What a stupid, unfair, and disorganized system.
December 17, 2010 at 1:15 pm
LongBeach
If these “poor undocumented children” weren’t able to apply for citizenship then they should have taken their ILLEGAL selves back to their country of origin. Or just be arrested alongside their parents. America no longer has a spine; you think it’s “unfair” here in America? I think we should just implement some other nation’s harsh immigration policy. My family LEGALLY immigrated to America in the mid 1900’s. I don’t get special treatment – why should some border jumper?
DREAM on – this bill has failed before; it won’t be passing this time either.
December 17, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Jim
@LongBeach
How hard do you think it was for your family to “LEGALLY” immigrate to America in the early 1900s?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_immigration_to_the_United_States#Immigration_1930_to_2000
Sounds like the citizenship that your family obtained “legally” wasn’t as hard to obtain as all the messed up hoops we make immigrants jump through now.
Appreciate what you have LongBeach, and know that we are nation of immigrants.
I wonder if you would even pass a citizenship test.
December 17, 2010 at 6:19 pm
TEXAN FOR TEXAS
Send ALL illegals back to mexico.
NO dream act, not now, not ever.
America has become a coward. Lets get a back bone again and stand-up to these invaders and take back OUR country.(that shamefully is being taken away) by idiots!!!!!!!
COME ON AMERICA- STAND UP!!!!!!!!
This land is your land, this land in my land. (its not mexicos land!)
December 17, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Angus Johnston
Funny you should quote Woody Guthrie, Texan. You should Google the lyrics to his “Deportees” sometime — you might learn something about this country.
December 17, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Ana
I really hope that the Dream Act passes and if it doesn’t the latino community and all the supporters won’t give up. They are fighters and believers, maybe that is “american citizens” don’t have and that is why they never agree with each other. But back to the Dream Act , people will regret it if they don’t pass the Dream Act because those students would become proffesionals and will contribute to the nation so much. Some of them could become doctors and pray, that the once illigal doctor, won’t have to save your life, because we never know what tomorrow will bring. Be a little more human and read the facts before making a fool of yourself. I’m not trying to insult anyone but some people need to get a little more educated and leave all the ignorance aside.
December 17, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Alex
I’m not against education for anyone, with an upcoming debate on Immigration reform–that will most likely pass– these students should wait untill then. They will eligible for the same benefits that the dream act proposes and! they will have a path to Citizenship.
January 2, 2011 at 11:45 pm
Luke
I don’t agree with Texan For Texas’ statements, but I do not approve of the bill. I don’t think that our society should be base all matters politically, but rather think about it conservatively: expressing all matters equally and choosing the smartest, most LOGICAL answer. Yes, I am a conservative Republican, and yes I did vote for George Bush, but does that mean anything? It means I support an opposing political party to democrats and liberals, but nothing more. I think that many Americans today don’t look deep enough into any matters that they judge. I don’t think the United States should give younger illegal immigrants benefits to work towards citizenship (And to argue that “their parents were the ones who brought them here, it’s not their fault,” isn’t actually bringing up a logical point. That’s like blaming a parent for being violent around their child and the child growing up to be involved in gang violence. You blame the child, not the parent) in this manner. If Congress wanted to go out of their way to ensure a better life for illegal immigrants, how about working towards a law that wouldn’t let them work up from within [The United States] but send them home and allow them to try for LEGAL immigration.
That is my opinion, and I think people should look more at what’s logical, than what’s going to make them look like they’re doing the right thing (sometimes what SEEMS like the right thing isn’t actually good. When Rome started letting outsiders into their city, their civilization crumbled).