Flashback: DREAM Act Dies in the Senate

[Originally published December 18, 2010]

The Dream Act, a bill to provide a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants who entered the United States before age 16, died on the Senate floor on Saturday morning.

The failure of the bill - amid widespread opposition from Senate Republicans - is a major disappointment for Hispanic activists, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on immigration reform under President Obama.

The vote to end debate on the Dream Act and move to a final vote received only 55 votes, short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican-led filibuster. Forty-one senators voted no.

Three Republicans - Indiana's Dick Lugar, Utah's Bob Bennett and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski - were among the yes votes. Five Democrats voted no: Max Baucus and John Tester of Montana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas. The bill had already passed the House and is supported by President Obama.

The Dream Act would have allowed illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship if they entered the United States as children, graduated from high school or got an equivalent degree, and have been in the United States for at least five years. They must also have no serious criminal record and agree to complete two years of college or military service. Applicants would have had to wait ten years for citizenship, pay any back taxes and undergo background checks before gaining legal status.

While Democrats cast the bill as providing opportunity for upstanding young people who are not at fault for their illegal status, Republicans hammered it as offering "mass amnesty" that will encourage more illegal immigration.

Republicans say they are unwilling to take action on comprehensive immigration reform or any other immigration bill until America's borders are secure. They accused Democrats of moving forward on a Dream Act vote now for political purposes.

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[Wikipedia: Dream Act details]

[Reviewing: the 'Dream Act' has never been passed by Congress. It was essentially put in place through a 'temporary' DACA policy imposed by the Obama Administration. --Editor]