Dreamin’ for DREAM

With action on comprehensive immigration reform stalled due to partisan politics, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has started talking about what can pass now, and he’s looking at the DREAM Act. The bipartisan legislation, which would give legal residency to undocumented youth under the condition they go to college or join the military, has the support of 70% of Americans.

Why has Reid decided to temporarily focus on DREAM rather than CIR? Because after Senate Democrats invited Republicans to negotiate a comprehensive reform bill this spring, no one showed up. In fact, the most likely candidate, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, called Democrats’ efforts to push for CIR, “a real cynical ploy.” But the DREAM Act, and AgJOBS, a measure to bring stability and security to America’s farm workforce, do have bipartisan support and could become law if Republicans are willing to work with Democrats to advance them.

It also seems that Reid has been inspired by the stories of DREAM students, who delivered a petition signed by 20,000 people asking for action on the DREAM Act to his staff at the Netroots Nation convention last week. Reid told the crowd at Netroots: “I am happy to do the DREAM Act.” Adding, “But I’m not going to do the DREAM Act unless I have 60 votes.”

Explaining why he wouldn’t put it to a vote unless he knew he had 60 votes Reid said, “I’m not going to disappoint thousands and thousands of these young men and women unless I can win.” The young men and women, to whom Senator Reid was referring, simply want a chance at the American dream that they have already been pursuing their whole lives. It’s up to Congress to fix the broken immigration system that’s holding them back.

Hopefully Reid’s new focus on passing the DREAM Act will add some needed momentum for bipartisan action in the Senate. Passage of DREAM and/or AgJOBS would be an important stepping stone towards enactment of comprehensive immigration reform, provided Republicans decide to work with Democrats on the legislation.

Guest Blogger Will Sharry