Big news out of the Capitol today, as Harry Reid announced this afternoon that he plans to introduce the DREAM Act — which would allow young people brought to the U.S. as children to obtain legal status and contribute to their communities — as an amendment to the defense reauthorization bill the Senate is due to take up next week. Watch as Senator Harry Reid announces his plan:
The AP reports:
“The Nevada Democrat said Tuesday the legislation known as the DREAM Act is long overdue. But he wouldn’t say whether he has the votes for the amendment. The act allows young people who attend college or join the military to become legal U.S. residents.”
David Dayen, blogging at Firedoglake, nails why DREAM is so important:
“The DREAM Act is bipartisan policy, supported by the likes of Richard Lugar and Orrin Hatch, which simply allows students not to be punished for something their parents did, and allows productive members of society who want to contribute to America the opportunity to do so. Regardless of the politics, this move would be pretty good policy, though just a step toward fixing the broken immigration system.”
The Senate will have to vote to add the amendment to the defense bill, so advocacy is more important than ever.
Visit our DREAM 101 page to learn more about the DREAM Act and find out how you can help ensure that a generation of immigrants who are Americans in all but paperwork can finally achieve their dreams.
