House passes DREAM Act

After nearly a year of confrontational advocacy, a controversial immigration reform bill has passed the U.S. House.

The DREAM Act — the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act — passed the House by a 216-198 margin Wednesday. CNN reports the vote was mostly along partisan lines. In Minnesota that was true, except in one case: Blue Dog Democrat Collin Peterson sided with Republicans Michele Bachmann, John Kline and Erik Paulsen in opposing the bill. Eight Republicans voted for the bill.

If approved by the Senate, the legislation would create a pathway to citizenship for youth brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents. Under the proposal, a youth would have to have been brought to the U.S. before age 16, spent at least five years in country and obtained a high school diploma or a GED. If a youth meets those requirements he or she then would have six years to complete two years of college or university studies or a tour in the U.S. military. They will also have to pass a background check.

President Barack Obama, who supports the legislation, issued a statement praising the House vote:

I also congratulate the House for moving past the tired sound bites and false debates that have pushed immigration rhetoric into the extremes for far too long. The DREAM Act is not amnesty; it’s about accountability, and about tapping into a pool of talent we’ve already invested in. The DREAM Act is a piece of a larger debate that is needed to restore responsibility and accountability to our broken immigration system broadly. My administration will continue to do everything we can to move forward on immigration reform; today’s House vote is an important step in this vital effort.

Youth advocates have been engaged in a full court pressure campaign to push for passage of the legislation. The pressure was ratcheted up last spring when a group of undocumented youth staged a sit-in protest in the Arizona offices of Sen. John McCain. They were arrested and later released. But upon release they were seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Rep. Keith Ellison, who voted for the measure, said the act is “about giving young adults the ability to reach their potential rather than punishing them for their parents’ circumstances.” He called the bill “a significant step toward fixing our broken immigration system” and urged his Senate colleagues to quickly pass the DREAM Act.

Opponents of the measure claim it is amnesty and will open the door to legalizing millions of undocumented residents.