By Joshua M. Patton
 
While many Americans were pleased that the Senate passed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” there was another piece of legislation that did not pass that would have allowed another group of people living in America to serve in the military as well as allow them to attend college in the US using Federal benefits.  It was another attempt by Congressional and Senate Democrats to pass the controversial “Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors” (DREAM) Act.  The many versions of this bill that have been voted down in the past – either as stand-alone legislation or as part of a larger immigration reform act – have centered around one issue: the children of undocumented aliens living in this country.  Proponents of the bill ask us to consider these young children smuggled into this country by parents in search of a better life. These children know only America as their home and law makers have been asked to reflect on the challenges faced when they wish to go to college or enlist in the military only to find out that they are unable to do so because of their immigration status.  Opponents of the bill would have us consider that the flowery language and noble intentions of the bill aside, that this is a pathway to amnesty for illegal immigrants.
 
As it is written now, the bill suggests that children of undocumented immigrants under the age of 29, who entered the country at the age of 15 or younger, and have lived in the US for more than 5 years, may gain legal status through military service or post-secondary education.  The military was a staunch supporter of this legislation when it was falling far short of its recruiting and retention goals which were at “crisis” levels in 2005.  However, once the economic downturn hit America, those numbers steadied and began to increase again.  Although according to the DoD’s Strategic Plan for 2010, the soldiers gained from the passage of this measure were what was needed to maintain a “mission-ready, all-volunteer force.”  The rationale is that despite their immigration status, America is the only “home” these children have ever known.  By allowing them to enlist in the military or take advantage of post-secondary educational opportunities, they would be able to gain citizenship and provide valuable services that will advance the country. 
 
The measure has had bipartisan support now and in the past.  The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, not exactly a raving band of dope-smoking liberal pinkos, called the 2010 DREAM Act “a worthy immigration bill.”  In 2007, Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE), who has since retired from the Senate, and Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced a version of the bill with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) that also failed to garner the 60 or more votes it needed to overcome a filibuster by immigration-hawk Republicans like Jeff Sessions and Jim DeMint.  Senator Lugar was one of two Republicans to vote for the 2010 DREAM Act, the second being Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK), but the measure failed because it did not have the support of the “Blue Dog” Democrats.  These conservative Democrats, that gained national notoriety during the healthcare debate, blocked the measure because of their (or, as some believe, their constituency’s) strict stance against providing amnesty for illegal immigrants.  Others suggest that Republicans who supported the bill but still voted against it sensed the impending passage of DADT repeal and wanted to limit the lame-duck session victories for the opposing party.  It is not disputed that for whatever reason this bill did not pass, it had nothing to do with the legislation itself and everything to do with politics.  It fell five votes short either way, and the dreams of the people this would have helped were again dashed against the rocks.  For them, the DREAM Act has, thus far, been a recurring nightmare.