By Guy Smith and Jessica Faris, USCM Intern
October 22, 2007

After the Senate attempt to pass comprehensive immigration legislation (the McCain-Kennedy bill that collapsed in May), various attempts were made in both the Senate and House to revive a comprehensive approach to pass a scaled-down version.

In the Senate, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM) was introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (IL) and is currently being considered by the Senate Judiciary committee. Durbin attempted to pass DREAM as an amendment in the defense appropriations bill the week of September 24, but was prevented by Republican objections to its placement in an appropriations bill. The Defense bill passed on September 26.

DREAM, S. 774, provides a path to citizenship for some adults brought illegally into the country as children. To get the opportunity to apply for citizenship, the applicant must graduate from high school and complete either two years of college or military service. These young adults must have arrived in the U.S. before they were 16, and lived in the U.S. at least five years before the bill passes, in addition to demonstrating “good moral character.”

Though it failed to be included in the defense bill, DREAM can still be considered separately. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) has promised to bring DREAM for a vote before Congress adjourns this year. The act was first proposed by Durbin in 2003, but failed to pass then and was included in the massive McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill, which also failed to pass the Senate in May.

Agricultural Jobs, Opportunities, Benefits, and Security (AgJOBS) Act of 2007 (S. 340) was introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein (CA) in January of this year to reform the H-2A visa program for agricultural workers. As U.S. Mayor goes to press, there is a possibility that Feinstein will attach AgJOBS to the Senate farm bill that will be marked up this week. Regardless of the farm bill, Feinstein and Reid have both promised to bring this act to vote before Congress breaks for the end of the year.

AgJOBS gives agriculture workers without proper documentation a chance to acquire legal status based on whether or not they were working prior to 2006 and requires that they continue working after the legislation is enacted.

Both the DREAM and AgJOBS are included in the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy (STRIVE) Act of 2007, H.R. 1645, an attempt at comprehensive immigration reform. STRIVE, sponsored by Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL) is moving through the House, and has already gone through one Judiciary subcommittee. STRIVE has provisions for a new worker program, visa program, immigrant identification system and citizenship opportunities for long-time workers. It also provides for stronger border security and domestic penalties for those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Another effort at large-scale reform is moving through the Senate. Designated S. 1348 and sponsored by Reid, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 was introduced in May and has been the subject of debate on the Senate floor. An amendment proposed by Sen. David Vitter (LA) on October 15 passed the next day. The amendment prohibits spending funds which allow any government official to restrict the flow of information to the INS regarding the immigration status of any legal or illegal individual.