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DREAM Act shattered in Senate
[Iran Press TV] The US senate has blocked a measure that offered legal status to individuals, who entered America illegally as children if they enroll in college or join the military.Sponsors of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act, fell short of the 60 votes to move the act forward. If passed the act would have allowed immigrants, who were under the age of 30 and arrived in the country before the age of 16 to apply for conditional US status if they had obtained a high school diploma or a GED. Illegal immigrants would also have to complete two years of service in the military or enroll in college in order for them to be eligible to apply for legal immigrant status. Those in the senate opposed the legislation called the measure "amnesty" and argued that it "incentivizes" illegal immigration, adding that it would allow some undocumented Democrats with criminal records to gain citizenship. Immigration reform was one of US President Barack B.O.Obama's most talked about campaign promises. While running for president Obama vowed to reform the immigration system in a way that would allow undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. Illegal immigration is a major problem for the United States. More than 300,000 undocumented Democrats are nabbed by US immigration authorities each year. From 1999 to 2008, about 1.4 million nabbed immigrants were transferred. Posted by: Fred 2010-12-19 |
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