Stabenow won’t co-sponsor DREAM Act

So here is our answer.

I don't know what to make of this. I mean, we really do need a more comprehensive solution to this issue; but we would all like for DREAM Act to pass. (She could have still cosponsored, though.) At least she supports us.

What do you guys think? Will passage of the DREAM Act put a CIR in jeopardy?

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By Todd A. Heywood 5/27/10 12:19 PM Digg Tweet

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow has sent letters to youth activists who are demanding she sign on as a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act. And that response is not making organizers happy.

In a letter Pricila Martinez of One Michigan, Stabenow wrote:

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2009 (S.729), known as the Dream Act, is currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am not a member. I have voted for and continue to be supportive of reforms to address the plight of young people who were brought to our country at a young age. However, because I do not serve on this committee and believe that immigration reform must be addressed in a comprehensive way, I have not cosponsored this or any other immigration legislation.

Martinez says this is not enough from the senator. In an email to Michigan Messenger Martinez wrote:

“This is not enough, she has refused to meet with us in DC, and here in MI. We need leadership from all of our senators. Other senators like Lugar and Durbin are already considering moving forward with the Dream Act as a building block for immigration reform. We have been calling all week, emailing petitions and sending her petition signatures. Yesterday alone, we sent out 600 calls in support of the Dream Act. However, she still refuses to meet with us. Stabenow why won’t you meet with us?”

Activists plan to continue a series of actions directed at Stabenow and other elected officials, and some of the activists will continue their hunger strikes. The issue came to a head earlier this month when Ann Arbor resident Mohammad Abdollahi and two other undocumented youth were arrested while protesting at the offices of Arizona Sen. John McCain. As a result all three face deportation proceedings.

For Abdollahi, the stakes are particularly high. He came to America at age three from Iran and faces deportation to a country where he does not know the language or the culture. He is also openly gay, and Iran punishes homosexuality with beatings, torture, imprisonment and execution.

Michigan Messenger has been trying for over a week to get a formal statement on the issue from Stabenow, but has been met with silence.

The full text of Stabenow’s letter follows:

Dear Priscila,

Thank you for contacting me about the issue of immigration and your support for the DREAM act. My staff has shared your stories with me and I understand your passion and deep concern.

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2009 (S.729), known as the Dream Act, is currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am not a member. I have voted for and continue to be supportive of reforms to address the plight of young people who were brought to our country at a young age. However, because I do not serve on this committee and believe that immigration reform must be addressed in a comprehensive way, I have not cosponsored this or any other immigration legislation.

As you know, several members of Congress have proposed various immigration reforms. These proposals deal with a broad range of issues including our national security, border enforcement, guest worker programs, children brought to the US at a young age, a path to citizenship, and the issues of immigrant workers in agriculture, seasonal jobs, and high-skilled positions.

My office has been contacted by thousands of Michigan citizens about their problems with our broken federal immigration system. I am well aware of the urgent need for reform and the impact of our system on those trying to navigate this complicated bureaucracy.

For these reasons, I believe that we must consider any reforms to our immigration system in a comprehensive and balanced manner, first and foremost taking into account our nation’s security, the jobs of American workers, the rights of individuals and the economic interests of our state. I will keep your strong views in mind as the Senate considers this issue.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please continue to keep me informed about issues of concern to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator