President Obama told Hispanic lawmakers in a closed-door meeting Tuesday that he wants the lame-duck Congress to pass immigration reforms before the end of the year.
With time running out before Republicans assume control of the House and chances for comprehensive immigration reform decline, Democratic leaders are expressing more hope than optimism about reviving the so-called DREAM Act that, among other things, would give young illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship.
“The president reiterated his strong support for bipartisan congressional action on immigration reform at the earliest opportunity, noting that the American people expect both parties to work together to tackle the challenges confronting our nation,” the White House said.
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would allow illegal immigrants under the age of 21 and who have been in the U.S. for at least five years to qualify for citizenship if they serve two years in the military or attend a four-year college. Republicans have denounced the measure as amnesty for lawbreakers.
The DREAM Act is currently attached to the defense authorization bill which has been stalled in the Senate since before the Nov. 2 elections.
“I told the president we need him now and that we cannot waste another day and must push for a DREAM Act vote in the House and Senate during the lame duck,” said Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Ill., a leading proponent of immigration reform who attended the meeting. “It is not the time to hesitate or be unclear about what we are fighting for.”
Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said they are willing to put the measure forward for a vote, but there was no indication when that would happen.
Far short of comprehensive immigration reform, the DREAM Act has attracted enough Republican support in the past to give backers hope that Congress could act on it during the lame-duck session now under way.
Gutierrez, joined in the Oval Office meeting by Hispanic Caucus leaders Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., said passage of the act “is achievable right now.”
Still, it’s unlikely Obama will take a more vigorous approach to the DREAM Act than he did with comprehensive immigration reform in the months leading up to the election.
While repeatedly calling immigration reform a priority, Obama has yet to make a serious push for it on Capitol Hill. Obama insists that Republicans take part in reforming the nation’s immigration laws, but the GOP has declined. Still, Obama “reiterated his strong support for congressional action on immigration reform at the earliest opportunity” during his meeting with the Hispanic Caucus, the White House said.
There’s limited time in the lame-duck session to take up an issue as divisive as immigration reform, and with Republicans already preparing to take over the House in January, GOP leaders haven’t indicated any interest in pursuing the issue.
