D.R.E.A.M. deferred

The DREAM Act, which had been tacked onto the recent defense bill, would have granted legal residency and a chance at citizenship to undocumented immigrants who were brought into the U.S. as children and who are either attending college or joining the military.

Republican senators filibustered the defense bill with all its attendant amendments. It couldn’t even be debated.

Worse, Democrats failed to muster the 60 votes to overcome the filibuster. But the dream isn’t dead yet.

Now, added as a stand-alone bill to the legislative calendar and likely to be voted on after November, the DREAM Act has a fighting chance. Unfortunately, without the safety of being passed with the defense bill, the DREAM Act will likely be subject to much compromise.

Sen. Richard Lugar is currently the only GOP sponsor of the DREAM Act, which is a brainchild of his along with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois). He did side with other Republicans against the defense bill, but only on account of his uncertainty about a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that was also attached to the bill.

I have no doubt he will whole-heartedly support the DREAM Act as a stand-alone.

Still, I must express doubt at the lily-livered actions of senators on both sides of the aisle. As business writer Daniel Cubias blogged for www.change.org, “It is mystifying, however, why they insist on shooting themselves in the foot and then congratulating each other on their aim.”

You see, many Republicans who approved the measure in 2004 — when 58 percent of Americans supported it — have now flip-flopped (perhaps because a new president would be signing it) although public approval has now increased to an overwhelming 70 percent.

This change is because of the Republican party’s increasing shift to the far right, which is in part caused by the recent tea party politics.

Republicans have solidified themselves as the party of no, repeatedly blocking discussion and votes while offering no feasible solutions themselves.

Even the Republicans’ insipid “Pledge to America” is a stale piece of work that is “grounded in the same worn-out philosophy,” as President Barack Obama put it.

Slash spending, slash taxes (for the wealthy) and refuse to debate the merits of any other policy.

But back to my primary topic — the slashing of dreams.

First, the GOP’s main complaint (or excuse) about the DREAM Act is it’s one of many non-defense related tag-alongs on the defense bill.

Actually, it would ease military recruitment efforts. Ironically, the same complainers had no qualms when it was attached to a previous defense bill in 2007.

In fact, there would many benefits to the American people as a whole.

The concept of “amnesty” should not be stigmatized; children should not be penalized for the supposed sins of their parents.

Furthermore, it is common knowledge that not long from now, minorities will be the majority and a driving force in our economy.

About 52 percent of Hispanics born outside of the U.S. drop out of high school, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. After all, why not? Their career options, if they are here illegally, are severely constricted.

People should not be horrified that illegal immigrants are here, but of their tragic state of education.

Imagine the economic benefits, the investments, the increased tax revenues and decreased expenditures on social services and the military service to the U.S. that would be brought about by the estimated 825,000 young people who would benefit from the act, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

These young people were raised in this land, and it was not by their say that they were brought here. So let them join the legal workforce — it’s in our self-interest as well as theirs.


E-mail: celgrund@indiana.edu