By Christina Kostopoulou

The streets have taken thousands of undocumented youths in California to protest for the devastating loss in the Senate of the Dream Act.

Disappointed by the Senate’s failure to grand them a path to citizenship Californian immigrants, are now trying to change state legislation so that they gain access to college financial aid, a prospect which is highly likely under the newly elected Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.

California has the highest number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and a long history of student advocates trying to grant state tuition.

The Dream Act, would have granted legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants under age 30, who attend college or serve in the military.  Opponents of the bill, attacked it as amnesty for lawbreakers and the Senate measure fall five votes short in advancing it for a vote.

While prospects for the bill’s revival are glum, especially since Republicans, who are overwhelmingly opposed will take control of the House of Representatives in January, there are some chances of working around that bill.

 

No Republican has stepped in yet with a concrete proposal for a more limited version of the Dream Act, yet, there have been signs of hope on a state level. California is such an example, where is now moving forward allowing undocumented students to receive state or campus financial aid.  The Legislature this year approved a measure to allow such aid, but it was vetoed by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Brown, during gubernatorial debates this year, said he would have signed the bill into law. 
Many DREAM Act supporters are now focusing for a change through the ballot box, targeting lawmakers who voted against the measure, especially in states with significant Latino populations, including Arizona, Texas and Florida hoping that sooner or later the U.S. will have to face the problem and grant citizenship to the increasing number of illegal youths.

 

Until that happens, “Dreamers” remain devastated from the failure of the bill to pass for a vote and say that the Spanish community will never forget those who voted for — and against — the measure.