The DREAM Act is closer to passage than its ever been. But will it get over the ledge?
Last night, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced he would file cloture on the legislation, which would create a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants who moved to the United States before they were 16 and completed two years of college or military service. If the motion to end debate (and a threatened Republican filibuster) is approved by 60 senators, the act would come up for an up-and-down vote sometime this month.
So far, only one Republican -- Richard Lugar of Indiana -- says he will openly backing the bill. As Mother Jones' Suzy Khimm reports, another five members would need to cross the aisle for it to survive. We wrote earlier this week about the pressure immigrant rights advocates are applying to Illinois' newest Sen. Mark Kirk, who has said that the federal government should wait to consider the provision until it gains more control of the country's southern border. (Illegal immigration has declined precipitously across the country, it should be noted, in part because of increased enforcement efforts.) Perhaps Kirk should listen to his friend, former Gov. Jim Edgar, who recently wrote that the DREAM Act was both "sensible" and "humane."
