Student Immigration Bill Hits Setback

WASHINGTON — The Senate will not vote on legislation this week that would give thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to citizenship if they attend college or join the military.

Sen. Richard Durbin, the main sponsor of the measure, failed in his attempt to attach it to a large defense spending bill.

Durbin said he was disappointed that the Republican leadership blocked his efforts despite the fact that the legislation "would help to solve the military's recruitment crisis."

"This narrowly tailored bipartisan legislation will allow a generation of immigrant students with great potential and ambitions to contribute to our nation's security and future," Durbin said.

Despite the setback, the measure — known as the DREAM Act — could get a vote later this year.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he would try his "utmost" to have a vote by Nov. 16.

The legislation would allow illegal immigrant high school graduates to eventually attain permanent legal status if they complete two years of college or serve honorably in the military for at least two years.

It would apply to those who arrived in the United States before age 15, have lived in country for at least five years before the measure's enactment, and have no criminal record.

Immigrant groups and Hispanic organizations, who lobbied hard for the DREAM Act said they were still hopeful it would pass.

"We are deeply disappointed that the DREAM Act never came to a vote. ... But we're encouraged that Sen. Reid has specifically committed to bringing it back up, and are very hopeful of a successful vote in the near future," said Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization.

Meanwhile, groups that advocate stronger enforcement against illegal immigrants declared victory after bombarding senators with hundreds of thousands of e-mails and faxes opposing the DREAM Act, which they said was a disguised amnesty for lawbreakers.

"We saw this as a battle and we won ... but there are more battles to come," said Caroline Espinosa, spokeswoman for Numbers USA, a group that supports lower levels of immigration.

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