Perhaps it is a positive development, or perhaps it is a development that will have DREAM Act advocates and CIR-only advocate going for each others’ throats, but a Roll Call article today tells us that Majority Leader Harry Reid has made it clear than when CIR advocates advise him that comprehensive immigration reform is dead for the year, that he would push the DREAM Act as a stand-alone initiative.
In an interview with La Opinion, the Nevada Democrat said he is largely leaving it up to reform advocates to tell him when a comprehensive bill is no longer viable and that the Senate should instead move to the narrower DREAM Act.
After backers of a comprehensive bill say “that they feel we cannot get [comprehensive immigration reform] done this year – and the reason why we cannot do it, it’s because we don’t have a single Republican -then I would like to figure out when can we do the DREAM Act. I would like to do it before the elections,” Reid told La Opinion.
So, the ball is punted to the CIR advocates even though the ones carrying the weight right now are the DREAM Act activists. Several organizations, including League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) have already shown their support for the DREAM Act. According to reports on the ground, CIR advocacy group Reform Immigration For America, stated their support for the DREAM Act in DC this week.
Given that Senator Reid has made this statement, that we are still within a window of opportunity to perhaps pass DREAM as part of the Defense Authorization act, and that the Latino electorate is waiting for some sort of action as the elections near that would energize them, the national groups should make this happen.
It is obvious that the DREAM Act actions of this week have been effective. It is time to make it happen.
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Sen. Reid shouldn’t have to wait for RIFA to tell him its time to start pushing for the & feel for those who would like to see some kind of CIR pass this year, but that is just not going to happen. There is not enough momentum pushing CIR right now, but it is pushing for the DREAM Act. Reid needs to do what is right, and protect the students first. Read the DREAM Act bill if you’re not familiar with it, and educate yourself. Please understand that it is not amensty like many critics & those who oppose it have called it. Citizenship is not free if it must be earned. Give these kids the chance to give back to the country that has given them so much. Think about it…
Well written Stace! While immigration reform “leaders” haven’t been as vocal as we would have liked, they are coming out in support of DREAM now it seems. Ali Noorani at RI4A came out with a statement in support of it and they also put out actions alerts over email and text messages. We’re closer to seeing a DREAM become a reality.
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Actually LULAC’s National Executive Director was part of today’s press conference outside the Capitol in which he endorsed a stand alone DREAM Act as the DREAMers and allies stood behind him. Not sure what NCLR’s status is but I know RI4A and America’s voice have already endorsed a stand alone DREAM Act, Frank Sharry was a speaker at DREAM University’s graduation yesterday in which he spoke in favor of passing the DREAM Act on it’s own and acknowledged CIR was VERY dead for the rest of the year. So i don’t know what else Reid is waiting for, I think there is consensus that CIR is dead for the rest of 2010.
Thanks for the info. I know they had been iffy and Brent hasn’t always been that helpful.