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.
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.