What Happens to a DREAM Deferred?

Recently, the House of Representatives passed a version of the DREAM Act, a partial immigration reform bill aimed at legalizing those who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children. The the House voted affirmatively for it is quite impressive. Because of this vote, Harry Reid busted out all sorts of political maneuvers to improve the bill's chances in the Senate.

On Saturday, a heavy campaign in favor of the DREAM Act ended in defeat. The vote came in at 55 for and 41 against. This vote went against the advice of hundreds of professors, economists, and journalists. Against the judgment of the current administration from Janet Napolitano, to Eric Holder, to the President himself, ending the dream of hundreds of thousands of undocumented students to continue their education, enlist in the armed forces, find a job, and improve their lives.

One of the most ridiculous arguments against the bill stated by Republicans was that the bill's introduction in the Senate was nothing but a political game. In truth, however, the bill was no game - instead, it is a grave reality that the dreams of all those hiding in the shadows continues to fester.

If anything, it is the Republicans who have been playing political games, or rather Russian roulette. With the recent victories in the midterm elections, the Republicans have become emboldened to the point of refusing to negotiate and holding the Democratic agenda hostage. They refused to move forward on all legislation until disastrous Bush-era tax cuts were extended. The Democrats capitulated, from the top down, though they did not have much choice and painted the deal in the best possible light for them. The Republicans struck down the DREAM Act, are blocking the START treaty to safeguard nuclear weaponry, impede the appointment of judicial nominees, among many other things. This party is becoming schizophrenic, losing its identity to pander to various types of conservative archetypes. If this is not the very undoing of the Republican party, at least it is shooting itself in the foot. The continued refusal by the Republicans to make a deal on any type of immigration reform is guaranteeing that votes of Hispanics, the fastest growing minority groups, will continue to heavily lean Democratic now and into the future for generations.