Immigration and firm news

Senate Fails to Move DREAM Act

The Senate voted Saturday not to move on the DREAM Act, H.R. 5281 by 55-41, just five votes shy of what was needed to move the bill. Senator Reid from Nevada had previously filed a cloture motion. Since the Senate failed to achieve the 60 votes needed, the bill will not proceed further. The new Congress is likely to enact enforcement-only legislation, but immigration rights groups, educators, business and other groups, emboldened by new organizing efforts, and who support immigration reform beyond enforcement-only laws will not give up. The New York Times quotes Senator Durbin, who originally introduced DREAM, as saying “‘I want to make it clear to my colleagues, you won’t get many chances in the United States Senate, in the course of your career, to face clear votes on the issue of justice.'”