Labor & Employment Law

Republican Senators Can Block, but Not Kill, the DREAM

By admin

Ava Avendano, assistant to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, writes that immigrant workers, unions and advocates for justice will not stop fighting just because Republican senators blocked the DREAM Act  yesterday.

In another revealing display of their party’s true colors, Senate Republicans yesterday blocked passage of the DREAM Act. Every Republican senator?even some who had co-sponsored the legislation in the past?voted to stop progress on a bill that is vital to our national security and would have  provided a path to citizenship to some of our nation?s most promising youth.

By stopping the bill, the Party of “No” made clear their willingness to exploit  fear for political gain at the expense of our nation?s children even as members of the Pentagon and many former top Defense officials say they support the DREAM Act because it would help the military build and keep a stronger all-volunteer force. 

If enacted, the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would allow undocumented students who have lived in the United States for at least five years and have graduated from high school or received a graduate equivalency diploma (GED) to legalize their immigration status by pursuing a college education or serving in the U.S. military.

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) had the political courage to introduce the DREAM Act as part of the Department of Defense Authorization Act.  Even though they did everything possible to reach across the aisle, Senate Republicans caved in to the anti-immigrant vitriol of their Tea Party base. Their message was clear: Latinos and immigrants have no place in America.

Senate Republicans may have killed the DREAM Act for now, but the fight for justice for immigrant communities and all working people in the United States is far from over.

Just listen to the determination in Rogelio?s voice. Rogelio,  27,  who lives in Los Angeles, spent the last two days on Capitol Hill urging senators to support the DREAM Act. Because he was unable to attend a university, he enrolled in community college and became a certified aeronautical technician. Now, he repairs airplanes and dreams of becoming a pilot one day. He says:

I would like my senators to listen to my story.  I have a young daughter and I want to show her the right way to be, that if she works hard, she can do anything. The DREAM act will help me continue to succeed to be a good example for her.

In just over a month, Americans will re-elect those politicians who have stood with them and their families and vote out of office those politicians who have stood against them. Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) President Milton Rosado says:

A senator who stands against [the DREAM Act] is squandering the opportunity to allow a talented group of individuals to contribute to the economic prosperity and the security of our communities and our nation.

LCLAA Executive Director Hector Sanchez adds:

The success and competitiveness of our workforce in the global economy relies on an educated and skilled workforce.  This is commonsense economic policy that both sides of the aisle need to support and we are mobilizing our membership in support of this critical piece of legislation.

It should be absolutely no confusion among Latino and immigrant workers as to which party deserves their votes and which party deserves their scorn.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on September 22, 2010 (boomark / email).