The 10th Anniversary of the (Failure to Pass the) Dream Act

Many supporters of immigration reform, including President Obama, have emphasized the need for patience and to let the increased enforcement efforts take effect. However, time is passing and reform seems no closer today than, say, a decade ago.

Leslie Berestein Rojas reports on the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the original Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, which was introduced on August 1, 2001 by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). “The bill’s timing could not have been worse. In a little more than a month, the political landscape surrounding immigration would change drastically, obliterating any chance of passage. But after years of reintroductions, amendments and changing sponsors, the proposal to grant conditional legal status to young undocumented people brought here as minors continues to make its way around Congress, making it a noteworthy anniversary.”

KJ