Mainstream Media Didn't See the DREAM Act Re-Introduced

The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post must have not thought the DREAM Act was important. Or, it could be that they are hoping that if no one knows it was re-introduced there will be less of a fight to pass the bill.  (a Houston Chronicle blog did post the information)

"DREAM Act Re-Introduced," Miami Herald, March 26, 2009

The Orlando Sentinel has an article, but you have to really dig for it.  You can't find it in the normal Sentinel search engine.  I only found it through my university library, that had it listed under Hispanosphere blog.  I looked up the blog on the newspaper's site and found the article posted with yesterday's date.  Same problem with the Miami Herald.  It is not on the paper's search engine, but under one of its blogs.  

It is a shame that the article is so hard to find on the Sentinel, it is a nice write up... 

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"Plan to Legalize Young Immigrants Back for Debate,"  Orlando Sentinel, March 26, 2009

by Victor Manuel Ramos

They call it the DREAM Act, almost a poetic name for a piece of legislation that has been waiting its turn in U.S. Congress.

Its name is an acronym for The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act – a bill that would essentially allow young people who grew up in the United States as unauthorized immigrants to earn permanent residency.

It is also the bill that won’t go away.

Versions of the DREAM Act have been considered, without much success, in 2003, 2005, 2006 and as part of a large immigration reform package in 2007.

It came back to life again today, as the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives put it forward again, giving hope to immigrant advocates who see it as a first good step toward immigration reform and alarming those who believe it is another amnesty bill for lawbreakers.

If the bill passes, applicants won’t exactly get something for nothing, but such a law would lead to the legalization of tens of thousands of immigrants who fit this description, as had been specified in previous versions:

* They arrived in the United States before age 16.
* They have been otherwise law-abiding citizens for at least five consecutive years since the date of arrival and have registered for the Selective Service in case the military needs them.
* They must be older than 12 years old but younger than 30 when the bill becomes law.
* They have either graduated from a U.S. high school or obtained a general equivalency diploma.
* They have “good moral character.”


Under the bill, those immigrants who satisfy these criteria would get conditional legalization and would have to either complete study at a community college, complete at least two years toward a bachelor’s degree or serve two years in the U.S. military to get their permanent residency.

This appears to be the same bill that is headed for consideration. What would make it work this time? There’s no saying for sure what will happen, but now Democrats have control of U.S. Congress with a president who has expressed support and voted in favor of this legislation in the last go-round. Immigrant advocates say they also have the results of the election to show that immigrant communities are becoming politically active and will hold politicians accountable.

It’s been recently reported, also, that many of the young immigrants who would benefit from this legislation have organized using Internet social networks to lobby for a chance at legal residency. And they have the case to make that they did not willingly enter the country illegally because their parents brought them along. Many of these immigrants have also grown assimilated into U.S. culture and would have trouble adjusting to life in their countries of origin.

“It’s a moral failing to continually turn our backs on youngsters who were brought here as children and have done nothing wrong,” said Marissa Graciosa, campaign coordinator for Fair Immigration Reform Movement, an advocacy group also known as FIRM. “This year, we expect Congress to rectify this moral wrong. But Congress can’t stop there. We must also act to bring millions of undocumented workers out of the shadows.”

And this latter thought is part of what opponents criticize -- that in their estimation this legalization package is only steps away from full-blown amnesty. Another point they make is that the legalization of the younger immigrants could also lead to the petitioning and legalization of more immigrants than commonly thought. You can also visit the Dream Act page of the National Immigration Law Center for more details on the proposal and its history.

We’ll see how this political battle plays out in the weeks to come. link to article

link to photo