DREAM Act Blocked; 'Don't Ask' Repeal Moves Ahead
MIAMI (CBS4)- South Floridians who gathered to hear if a bill that would give hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children a chance to gain legal status were disappointed Saturday.
Senate Republicans have blocked the DREAM Act bill. Sponsors of the DREAM Act needed 60 Senate votes to advance the bill, but fell five short.
Meanwhile, the Senate cleared the way for a vote later Saturday afternoon on a bill that would overturn the military's ban on openly gay troops. Senators voted 63-33 to advance the legislation. It's already passed the House and could and now looks likely to reach the president's desk before the new year.
U.S. President Barack Obama said, in a statement, homosexuals will not be discriminated based on their sexual orientation.
"Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend. By ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love."
At first, the Senate delayed a vote on the DREAM Act and rejected open debate on the Defense Authorization Bill, which included the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
South Florida residents gathered in various locations Saturday for DREAM Act watch parties, including at Miami's Yumba Restaurant at 1st Street and 17th Avenue.
Last week, dozens took to the streets of Miami to bring attention to both issues, hoping the Senate would move to resolve key issues.
"The DREAM Act is the pathway to my dreams," said Frida Ulloa, who said she's an undocumented immigrant.
Ulloa said that when she graduated from high school, she realized she couldn't go to college right away. Now that dream will not become a reality.
The 55-41 vote Saturday effectively killed the DREAM Act for the year and, possibly, for the rest of President Obama's term.
The legislation would've grant legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to the United States illegally and have attended two years of college or signed up for military service.
After the bill was blocked Obama issued a statement:
"In an incredibly disappointing vote today, a minority of Senators prevented the Senate from doing what most Americans understand is best for the country. As I said last week, when the House passed the DREAM Act, it is not only the right thing to do for talented young people who seek to serve a country they know as their own, it is the right thing for the United States of America. Our nation is enriched by their talents and would benefit from the success of their efforts. The DREAM Act is important to our economic competitiveness, military readiness, and law enforcement efforts. And as the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reported, the DREAM Act would cut the deficit by $2.2 billion over the next 10 years. There was simply no reason not to pass this important legislation. It is disappointing that common sense did not prevail today."
Obama said his administration "will not give up on the DREAM Act, or on the important business of fixing our broken immigration system."
Opponents argue the bill amounts to amnesty for lawbreakers. But Obama and other supporters said the measure would bring children of illegal immigrants out of the shadows and give them a chance at an education.
But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. warned that the DREAM Act or any other immigration bill that grants a path to U.S. citizenship will not pass "until we see our borders secured."
In 2007, a comprehensive immigration bill that included a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the USA could not muster enough support and died in the Senate.
On Friday, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary John Morton said immigration officials will not immediately go after young people who are in the country illegally. He said the focus will be on immigrants who have committed crimes or are a threat to the public.
If the DREAM Act did not pass, Morton said he, "we would handle the situation as we do now."
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
