WASHINGTON - The Senate today rebuffed a measure that would grant
legal status to hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants if
they attend college or join the military.
Supporters of the DREAM Act fell eight votes short of the 60 needed to
keep the legislation alive
"I don't want to hold out false hope," Sen. ***** Durbin, D-Ill., said
when asked if he'd try to bring his legislation up again this year.
"We did our best today."
After the implosion in the Senate last June of a sweeping immigration
bill backed by the Bush administration, advocates decided to offer
smaller measures in hopes of limiting the opposition that derailed
legalization for most of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants
in the country.
The legislation, officially known as the Development, Relief and
Education for Alien Minors Act, would allow hundreds of thousands of
illegal immigrants under the age of 30 who came here under age 16, and
have lived here at least five years, to attain legal status, and
eventually citizenship, if they complete two years of college or serve
in the military for at least two years.
Cornyn complained that the legislation contained "gaping loopholes,"
including not requiring that illegal immigrants graduate from college,
granting them access to federal student loans and limiting
investigation of possible application fraud.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5241897.html
.
|
