U.S. Senate to ponder dream

Stockton vigil

Stockton, CA / Bilingual Weekly
Last night, December 6, 2010, Latinos gathered in vigils all over the nation to send a message to the Senate as they ponder on the future of the DREAM Act on two separate bills that seek to give an opportunity of legalization to undocumented college students and in the military.

In spite that the 2010 versions of the DREAM Act are much conservative than previous ones —beneficiaries cannot apply for federal financial aid, will be considered for U.S. citizenship after 10 years, and are very limited on immigrating relatives— it is more generous on who can apply: people under 30 years old who came to the U.S. when they were 15 or younger and graduated from a U.S. high school. They must be enrolled on an accredited college or in the military.

The issue is to be discussed today on the Senate floor although a vote date has not yet been set —this is highly important for the proponents and stakeholders, for if the debate lingers to January, the next House of Representatives will be dominated by the Republican Party, whose members are vehemently opposed to any leniency towards undocumented immigrants.

In Stockton, nearly fifty people —many of them students from the University of the Pacific and the San Joaquin Delta College— gathered at dusk at the Martin Luther King Plaza in downtown Stockton, holding candles, praying, singing and reading poems for a positive outcome of the Senate vote.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Related Articles

• White House Makes Final Push On DREAM Act (huffingtonpost.com)
• “Ten Arguments for the DREAM Act, Via the White House” and related posts (blogs.edweek.org)
• As DREAM Act Becomes More Visible, Student Immigrants Boost Their Activism (alternet.org)
• A.M. Top News: Congress to consider legislation aimed at qualifying young illegal immigrants for U.S. citizenship (nj.com)
• Bay Area Asians Come Out As DREAM Students (huffingtonpost.com)
• Hispanic illegals in U.S. pin hopes on Dream Act (theglobeandmail.com)
• DREAM Act sputters as GOP takes over (politico.com)
• McCain Dismisses DREAM Act Supporter (huffingtonpost.com)
• Mysa.com: Hutchison vote on DREAM Act has ramifications for potential re-election (mysanantonio.com)
• “DREAM Act vote in the US House will take place next week” and related posts (washingtonindependent.com)