Today, the United States Senate had the opportunity to join the House of Representatives in passing an important piece of immigration reform and a common sense solution that would allow many young people to contribute to the economy and give back to the country they call home.
Support for the DREAM Act has only gained momentum since its inception more than a decade ago. There is a growing list of labor, youth, immigration and civil rights advocates, who saw this legislation's passage as a simple way to provide an opportunity to the most patriotic and hardest working young people in the US.
Unfortunately, marred in procedural bickering and fear of political backlash, the Senate voted against the cloture vote on the DREAM Act: 55-41.
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) applauds the 55 Senators who, as described by Senator Durbin of Illinois, not only voted in support but acted with "political courage". This includes 3 Republicans: Senators Bennett of Utah, Lugar of Indiana & Murkowski of Alaska.
The vote today reminds us of the ongoing organizing we must do and the difficult political climate ahead. As we look forward to the 2012 elections, we will remember those who voted against us and will give new life to phrase "holding elected officials accountable".
Although disappointed about the outcome of the vote, I stand tall with hope truly inspired by the resiliency of the DREAMers and undocumented youth across this country. Thank you for igniting a movement for change and social justice.
We got here today because of you and I vow (with APALA's leadership joining me) to fight alongside your bold, visionary & transformative leadership!
Can't Stop! Won't Stop!
Kaya natin! Si se puede! Yes, we can!
Follow Gregory Cendana on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gregorycendana
The law would require the police to lock up anyone they stop who cannot show proof that they are in the country legally.
Private prison companies could stand to gain financially from the new law because they would be building and operating new prisons to hold detained immigrants and those suspected of being illegal.
NPR's analyzed campaign finance reports, lobbying documents and corporate records that revealed a "quiet behind the scenes effort" to help draft and pass Arizona Senate Bill 1070 by an industry that stands to benefit from it: the private prison industry.
NPR noted that the law, if passed, could send hundreds of thousands to prison in a way never done before. And it could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in profits to private prison companies responsible for housing them.
According to NPR, one of the prison companies involved is "the billion dollar Corrections Corporation of America - the largest private prison company in the U.S".
NPR said that it reviewed Corrections Corporation of America reports that showed that "executives believe immigrant detention is their next "big market"
Last year they wrote that they expect to bring in "a significant portion of our revenues from Immigration and Customs Enforcement", the agency that detains undocumented immigrants.
Care to explain it to me?
The 'hardship' clause was also ridiculous.
Bring another bill to the table , set the age limit as 25 , NO criminal record of any type , no misdemeanors , 5 years in the military in active service before becoming eligible for discharge OR a college degree and not just two years in trade school or something , no ability to sponsor relatives other than immediate dependents for people benefiting from this and finally , STRICT verification process for screening of applications with the burden of proof falling on the applicant.
THAT is fair enough for me , if they can meet those requirements , they have earned it. It's only fair , I had to wait 9 YEARS as a legal applicant to gain permanent residency and had to go through a hell lot of grief to get it. I earned it(While not sponging off from the system).
I certainly wouldn't expect, no demand, that Spain taxpayers provide for me. I certainly wouldn't have expected to have several separate criminal convictions and still be granted amnesty for the immigration crimes and fraud you would have to engage in to be there illegally.
And I most certainly wouldn't have expected to be put to the front of a very long line of people wanting to come in and while they pay for all the costs of that application to further expect Spanish taxpayers to fund mine.
This so-called dream act would have continue to hurt our economy.
It hasn't worked for you so far. Maybe it's time to just say No to hate.
Minority rule? The bill wouldn't have passed the house anyway.
Back in the real world, with 60 votes needed to pass, the DREAM act received 55 “yes” votes. Five Democrats voted “no” (there’s your 60,
The students that we're talking about were brought to the U.S. by their parents when they were too young to make the choice for themselves. They grew up here and know no other country. Try to imagine being deported to a country where you don't speak the language and have no family, no means of support. It's inhumane!
The U.S. was founded on the values of fairness and hard work. It is unfair to punish kids for the "sins" of their parents. It is the American way to say that whoever you are, you can make it in the U.S. if you work hard enough. The DREAM Act is the epitome of the American Dream.
They didn't even have to be "students". It's "inhumane" for us to have to support ILLEGAL ALIENS.
LEGAL ALIENS not ILLEGAL ALIENS are entitled to the American dream - they stood in line and did it the LEGAL way.
http://olderime.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/new-american-dream-the-different-point-of-view-between-obama-and-the-americans/
There are a lot of people hurting in this country today and people in pain are not the ones you want to ask for favors.
You favorite "bigots and racists" are not harmed by these conditions. They profit from it.
Regardless of how they got here, the US does not "owe" unregistered foreigners anything. In tough economic times when citizens can't afford college or are crowded out by foreign students a bill that serves only people from other countries is not going to get as much sympathy as you might like.
"What's in it for us?" is a question the bill's proponents should have anticipated from Americans.
In times like these, nothing is not going to be an acceptable answer.
What's in it for you?
1) Economic growth. You're mistaken if you think the number of jobs is a fixed number that people all have to compete against each other for. The more working, *contributing* people, the more jobs are created as more taxes are paid and more goods are bought.
2) Recruitment for the military - we're fighting two wars and yet turning away people who want to serve. That's crazy.
3) Each DREAM eligible kid that graduates from high school cost the state and local govts $20,000 to educate. It's again CRAZY to deport them and waste what's already been invested into them and their potential. They have ALREADY been educated; some have even already earned their college degrees; the only way to get a return on that investment is to let them legally work or serve; which is what they WANT to do.
No way, no how...