The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the DREAM Act on
Wednesday night, sending the immigration reform bill to the Senate. The
DREAM Act would provide a path to citizenship for hundreds of thousands
of illegal immigrants who entered the United States when they were
children.
“This is about a commitment to our future,” said Nancy Pelosi,
D-Calif., Speaker of the House. “It’s about a recognition of what these
young people can mean for our country.”
The DREAM Act proposes to give “conditional” green cards to
undocumented immigrants if they graduate high school and enter college
or military service. After ten years, these individuals would be
eligible to receive permanent residency and, eventually, citizenshp, as
long as they meet all other requirements.
While the House vote is good news for supporters of the DREAM Act,
there will be a tough fight in the senate. While many Republican
senators originally supported the bill, the majority of Republican
senators now oppose it, considering the bill a mass amnesty for illegal
immigrants. For the bill to pass the Senate, it will need the support
of the majority of Democrats and a few Republicans.
