By Laura Wides-Munoz
The Associated Press
MIAMI The illegal immigrants who more than a decade ago were just teens hoping to forge a legal path to citizenship are vowing to make the DREAM Act a campaign issue come 2012 even though they will likely be too old to benefit if the law ever passes.
The measure that passed in the House on Wednesday is unlikely go anywhere in the Senate and the House is unlikely to revisit the issue once the Republican leadership takes over.
Groups such as the National Council of La Raza and other Latino and immigrant advocacy groups know the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform are dim for the time being. So they have turned their attention to a measure that they think will spark more sympathy from most Americans bringing with them a coalition of labor groups the Conference of Catholic Bishops and even Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
And come 2012 advocates say Spanish-language media will be filled with ads slamming lawmakers who voted against the DREAM Act.
Many of us come from families with mixed (immigration) status. We cant vote but our families and friends can said Julieta Garibay 29 one of the original Dreamers who has pushed for the DREAM Act since it was first introduced in Congress in 2001. Our allies will remember who voted and how they voted and will hold them accountable in 2012.
The DREAM Act would provide qualified people up to the age of 29 with a path to citizenship if they attend college or join the military while mandating decades before they could petition for family to join them legally. An estimated 2.1 million immigrants could be eligible though a far smaller number likely would meet the bills requirements.
Opponents have said it will hurt Americans at a time when the nation already faces 9.8 percent unemployment. Some also decried the age cap of 29.
Those are pretty old kids U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith R-Texas said during the House debate. Smith called the legislation a nightmare predicting the U.S. government would be unable to conduct background checks on all those applying.
Jong-Min 30 who came with his family to the U.S. from South Korea when he was a baby has a college degree. He has accepted that his duty now is to work on behalf of those who are still eligible but said it was painful to hear Smiths complaints about the age cap.
