Texas Immigration Lawyer Blog

Sen. Reid says he'll advance DREAM Act

Washington Post   By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS The Associated Press

WASHINGTON --" The top Senate Democrat said Tuesday he'd move to force a test vote this week on a measure to give tens of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal status.

"Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he'd move to schedule action on the so-called Dream Act, which would give more than 100,000 young immigrants brought to the United States before the age of 16 a chance to become legal residents if they attend college or join the military.

"It's unclear whether Reid can muster the 60 votes necessary to move to an up-or-down vote on the measure. It has some degree of bipartisan support, but is opposed by most Republicans and some Democrats who regard it as little more than an amnesty grant for illegal immigrants."

Update: The new #DREAMAct Bill number will be S. 3992. It has not yet been printed. Cloture was NOT filed today on #DREAMAct, which means the earliest that a cloture vote could occur will be Friday; not Thursday. It is unclear whether the Majority Leader would want to conduct such an important #DREAMAct vote on a Friday. @MicEvHill

 

 

DREAM Act ad blitz heats up as vote nears

Immigration Chronicles 

"My inbox is exploding this week with urgent DREAM Act emails.

"Everyone and their brother wants to offer their two cents about the suddenly revived legislation that some say is the only sliver of hope remaining for immigration reform this year.

"For example, labor and immigration reform advocates are planning to announce today a six-figure ad campaign targeting U.S. senators whose votes are needed to pass the legislation.

"As we've reported, the DREAM Act is expected to come up for a vote in Congress during this lame-duck session."

Dreaming of Reform

New York TImes Editorial

How Much Conservative Muscle Will It Take To Lift the DREAM Act?

Immigration Impact

"While some would have you believe that immigration reform is a liberal issue championed only by Democrats, past debates and prior attempts to pass immigration reform have shown us that Republicans and conservatives are champions as well. Granted some of the most stalwart Republican supporters have recently turned their back on reasonable debate (think John McCain’s “build the dang fence” and Lindsey Graham’s summer flirtation with repealing birthright citizenship), yet immigration reform still enjoys the support of important conservative leaders—leaders like Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana and the Diaz-Balart brothers of Florida. Congress can’t pass the DREAM Act without Republican support, but how much conservative muscle will it take to finally make this bipartisan legislation a reality?"

Numbers overwhelm U.S. immigration courts

Brownsville Herald by Michale Barajas/Valley Morning Star

Story about asylum seekers, the ABA ProBAR program to provide legal assistance and the  La Posada Providencia shelter for those going through asylum proceedings in South Texas.

A dream come true? DREAM Act is no amnesty

Chicago Tribune Opinion by Jim Edgar

"A rational approach to comprehensive immigration reform should begin with the young people who were brought here as babies, toddlers and adolescents.

"Many have worked hard in school. Some want to serve in our military. All are undocumented. They live every day in fear of being caught, uprooted and sent to a country some have never known as their home.

"A nation as kind as ours should not turn its back on them. Congress needs to support the sensible, humane approach embodied in legislation known as the Dream Act.

"The measure charts a rigorous path that undocumented youths must negotiate to gain legal status and qualify for citizenship, and supporting it would be both good government and good politics.

* * *

"The proposal would require prospective beneficiaries to have been younger than 16 when they arrived and to have lived here for at least five years. They would need to have a high school diploma or GED or to have been accepted into a higher education institution. They must also have good moral character.

"This is no amnesty bill."

Keeping the #DREAM Alive via Carl Shusterman

Congress may vote on the DREAM Act as early as this week.  Unless the DREAM Act passes in lame duck session, it is unlikely that the new conservative Congress will pass this important piece of legislation into law during the next two years.

via shusterman.typepad.com

Editorial: Give DREAM Act a vote this year

San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board

"The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM Act, should be brought up for a vote before Congress goes home for the year.

"Failure to do so will leave the 65,000 illegal immigrant children who will graduate from American high schools in the spring living in limbo unable to further their education, seek gainful employment or become productive, taxpaying members of society.

"The DREAM Act would permit those who came to the U.S. before the age of 16 to attain U.S. citizenship if they joined the military, attend college for two years and have clean records."

Undocumented UCLA law grad is in a legal bind

 

L.A. Times by Hector Tobar

Read the story of Luis Perez, the first undocumented student to graduate from UCLA Law School. He is studying to take the California Bar, but won't be able to work as a lawyer unless there is a change in the law.

Another reason to pass the DREAM Act.

Spin Control: Putting Myths about the DREAM Act Out to Pasture

Immigration Impact 

"As the DREAM Act continues to gather momentum during lame-duck, some conservative Congressional members are scrambling to brand the legislation as “amnesty” in an attempt to scare the American public. Among the myths is the idea that the DREAM Act’s passage would somehow cheat native born students out of opportunities. This tired effort to pit immigrants against native born is not only destructive, but has no basis in fact. It also ignores the economic benefits that come from legalizing a group of talented, hard working individuals who want nothing more than to contribute to America and repay the country for the opportunities they’ve been given. It’s hard to imagine, given the economic data and bipartisan support, how these hardliners can justify twisting the DREAM Act into a rhetorical ball of fear.

"The Immigration Policy Center recently published a fact sheet rebutting these myths. The most egregious of them is the allegation that the DREAM Act “rewards” undocumented youth—who, by the way, had no choice in coming to the United States."