The Political Consequences of the Dream Act’s Defeat

The Dream Act may not be dead. But it is most certainly on hold, and no one is sure for how long.

The U.S. Senate did not directly kill the bill. Rather, Senate Republicans filibustered the defense authorization bill. The reason was that the Dream Act, as well as the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal, were amendments to the legislation. These two bits of conservative wolfbane were too much for Republicans to stomach. So they voted, en masse and without exception, to deny the bill’s passage.

The Dream Act would have granted a pathway to citizenship for kids who came to America as children, but are not legally in the country. As I will now explain — for quite possibly the last time — the bill addressed only children who followed their parents, not adults who entered the country illegally. The bill would have allowed these kids to become legal as long as they stayed out of trouble, and either pursued higher education or volunteered for the armed forces. The legislation had bipartisan support (a rarity in today’s political climate), and polls showed that the general public was fine with it.

However, the Dream Act was still too close to the dreaded “amnesty” word, and Republicans didn’t want to anger their nativist supporters. The vote was 56-43, with the GOP proving once again that it has no interest in any aspect of immigration reform that doesn’t revolve around the simplistic phrase “deport ‘em all.”

Of course, this is a bitter disappointment for those students who thought they had a chance at becoming full-fledged Americans. It’s also a devastating shot at basic concepts such as decency and fairness, as we are essentially punishing kids for the decisions of their parents. But in a political sense, one has to ponder the smug celebrating of those conservatives who are cheering the defeat of this bill. For starters, this “victory” only ensures that Latinos, already more than a bit leery of the GOP, will think twice before voting for a Republican candidate. Considering that Hispanics are the fastest-growing demographic group, it’s odd that conservatives haven’t realized that their current base (already old and getting older) will soon be replaced by a lot of Latinos with good memories.

Along those lines, it reinforces the Republican image as the party of no. It’s difficult to imagine the liberal or moderate political leader who would have any interest in working with a group that has made it clear that they are affixed to their hard-right foundations.

This long-term political suicide could be justified if the Republican position was based on the principle that it is what’s best for our country. Of course, just the opposite is true. Instead of cultivating our homegrown — if not native-born — talent, we are saying, “We don’t need you and your dedication to the military or your fancy college degree.”

Similarly, the defeat of the Dream Act does nothing to alter or stem the flow of immigration. All it does is guarantee that undocumented students will continue to live on the margins. It’s not like those students are going away now.

In any case, perhaps the only thing for which we can laud the GOP is their honesty. They no longer even attempt to portray themselves as “compassionate” conservatives. It is mystifying, however, why they insist on shooting themselves in the foot and then congratulating each other on their aim.

Photo Credit: Kevin Burkett