In an interview yesterday with Univision’s Jorge Ramos, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said that he would bring the DREAM Act to a vote in the “lame duck” session after the midterm elections, regardless of the election results. Meanwhile, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking how much it would cost to implement their mass deportation strategy.
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
Senator Reid should be applauded for sticking to his guns and promising to bring the DREAM Act up for a vote this year. It makes economic sense and it makes political sense for both parties to support high-achieving young people who are Americans in all but paperwork.
It’s disappointing, but not surprising, to see Republican senators banding together around a mass deportation approach. When will Republican politicians decide to set aside partisanship and work on practical solutions to our broken immigration system? Let’s hope they support the DREAM Act this year as a first step toward real, comprehensive immigration reform.
The DREAM Act is bipartisan legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and have graduated from American high schools the opportunity to earn their legal status by completing two years of college or military service. It has the support of 70 percent of all Americans and nearly 78% of Latino voters.
