You got that right.
Posted on 09/27/2007 7:32:23 AM PDT by Delacon
WASHINGTON — The prospects for immediate Senate action on the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants, disappeared Wednesday amid Republican opposition.
But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pledged that senators would vote on the the measure, which is strongly opposed by anti-illegal immigration groups, before the Senate finishes its work for the year in mid-November.
"All who care about this matter should know that we will move to proceed to this matter before we leave here," he said.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., had sought to attach the DREAM Act to the defense authorization bill. But Reid announced Wednesday night that Democrats were shelving the effort because of difficulties getting past legislative roadblocks.
"Unfortunately, some Republicans are opposed to this proposal and are unwilling to let us move forward on this bill," Reid said.
"There is no question that this issue doesn't stop here," said Cecilia Muñoz, senior vice president of the National Council of La Raza. "The longer we wait, the more talented young people we close the door of opportunity to."
The bill — officially the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act — would allow illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. before the age of 16, and who have lived here at least five years, to receive conditional legal status if they have graduated from high school and have a clean record. After six years, they could become permanent legal residents if they serve in the U.S. military for at least two years or complete at least two years of college. As with most green card holders, they could apply for citizenship after five years.
The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimates that slightly more than 1 million high school graduates and children still in class could gain legal status under the legislation.
Some Senate Republicans, including Texans Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, objected to the measure being brought up on a defense bill.
"Putting extraneous things on this bill isn't helpful," Hutchison said.
Other Republicans aren't ready to revisit a debate that imploded in June when the Senate scuttled an overhaul endorsed by the White House that would have given most illegal immigrants a chance for legal status.
"People, I think, want to let the immigration thing cool off a bit before we jump back in," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican who helped derail the comprehensive immigration bill.
Josh Bernstein, federal policy director for the National Immigration Law Center, predicted DREAM Act supporters eventually will prevail.
"The politics is right and the commitment is there," Bernstein said. "We're not giving up."
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
“The politics is right and the commitment is there,” Bernstein said. “We’re not giving up.”
But for how long? It will be back. Sooner rather than later.
Don’t forget S-Chip. That travesty has wording that substantially weakens a requirement that persons applying for those services show proof of citizenship or nationality.
“Durbin and immigrant rights advocates... can go straight to hell”
My feelings exactly.
My thoughts are that the politics are wrong and there should be no commitment to pass this!
They are just waiting for us to get our guard down.
How I wish Republicans would learn this habit. Democrats NEVER admit defeat but keep trying trying trying trying. Republicans lose a vote and drop the issue.
==> “They’ll try again when they think we’re not looking or preoccupied with something else.” <==
Thanks to the new media, that will NEVER happen again. My senators’ minions hear from me twice a week, without fail.
ping
Liberals with La Raza, i.e. The Race, how do you figure?
Yeah, National Council of La Racists.
Look for this to be slipped into something on a voice vote at the last minute where there is nothing recorded so they think we can't hold them accountable and we hear nothing until Bush has signed it, and it's a done deal. That's my guess. They aren't going to quit and neither are we, so it will have to be something like that.
btt
They are going to try this crap again and in earnest.
The Hispanic papers in the US (with a large illegal alien readership) states that will be the case, and other press corroborates it.
The prospects for immediate Senate action on the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants, disappeared Wednesday amid Republican opposition.
But we need to stay alert----Dem hyphenate sluts won't give up.
I saw a good idea on another thread today. Fax / e-mail every story about an illegal committing a crime that you see at Free Republic to your Congressman and Senators. New one practically every day. One committed person can send a lot of faxes. If there are a few in a congressman’s district then he’ll really get a lot. And the Senators. Forget about it.
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