Washington D.C., Dec 7, 2010 / 22:23 pm
Democratic leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) moved on Dec. 6 to end discussion on a controversial bill that would grant citizenship to many children brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents – a move that allows the legislation to be voted on as early as this week.
Although the DREAM Act has incited fierce cultural debate, many leaders within Catholic community have given it their support. Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez advocated the act's passage in a Dec. 2 letter to the U.S. Congress. He described the bill as “a practical, fair, and compassionate solution for thousands of young persons” who had not voluntarily broken the law.
The act's full title is the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act. It would allow young people who entered the United States before the age of 16 to apply for legal permanent residence and eventual citizenship, as long as they completed two years of higher education or military service.
The legislation's main support in Congress comes from Democrats, many of whom consider it an effective and fair solution to a problem that young people did not bring on themselves. However, some Republicans have warned that the bill would create more incentive for others to enter the country illegally in the future.