The “DREAM Act” (H.R. 1842 in the House and S. 952 in the Senate) is an attempt to thread the needle of immigration reform in a way that fosters a prosperous American society while being compassionate toward children who are caught in a system that is not of their design. If passed into law, the DREAM Act would allow students…
1. who entered the United States while minors,
2. who have lived in the country for five state years, and
3. who have either served two years in the military or gained a bachelor’s degree or greater…
to gain permanent resident status. The United States gains highly-educated and/or service-oriented residents, and kids who came to this country when not at an age of legal responsibility won’t have their lives crushed. It’s a win-win solution.
Unfortunately, however, the DREAM Act is a solution that hasn’t come to fruition. The DREAM Act has stalled without majority support in either the House or Senate. To pass, the DREAM Act needs a push — and in Denver today, students who place their ideals over partisan loyalties are putting their bodies on the line to give the DREAM Act that push. They are calling on President Obama to exercise his discretion to stop deportations of young people who would be eligible for a DREAM Act path to residency if the DREAM Act had been passed.
To learn more about the sit-in and the cause of the protesters, head over here to DREAMWalk.
