Immigration reform is before the Senate again.

The immigration bill which would have granted legal status to millions of illegal immigrants was successfully shelved this summer thanks to the efforts of Republicans and some Democrats who joined them.

Debates about this bill and the problems surrounding it were left for better times. Meaning after the elections. One of the bill’s provisions, however, survived a restless summer and a Congressional recess to return to the Senate. This provision would grant legal status to immigrants who came to the United States before the age of 16 and have since graduated from high school and enrolled in college. It is known as the Dream Act. And it literally represents a dream for young people who were brought here by fate at a tender age, but who lose the right to a dignified existence upon reaching young adulthood.

Next week this bill will be proposed for a vote in the Senate by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). To illustrate this dry legal document, Sen. Durbin plans to tell his colleagues the story of two brothers – Juan and Alex Gomez.

They were brought to the United States as children and proceeded to graduate from high school in Miami and enroll in college. But immigration authorities in Florida have established their illegal status. Now these young brothers are facing deportation to Colombia, which became a foreign place for them a long time ago.

Children have an easy time adapting to and assimilating a new culture. It is generally believed that someone who came here under the age of 15 will be able to speak English without an accent. Juan and Alex came here when they were much younger than that.

This story – and thousands like it – appears to have failed to touch the hearts of immigration opponents. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), one of the most outspoken critics of the immigration bill, has been particularly active in trying to prevent this new legislation from being passed. He has sent letters to his colleagues warning that this bill could help legalize over 1 million people. This is his main counterargument. The second is that in six years, people granted amnesty under the Dream Act will become legal permanent residents. This means that they will be able to start filing applications for their family members, a process that will stretch on and on. Finally, they will receive the right to government financial aid to pay for their educations, depriving native-born Americans of their fair share.

Right-wing bloggers and conservative talk show hosts like Lou Dobbs have joined the fight. Dobbs is on sick leave right now, but his colleagues are doing an excellent job of carrying his banner. An appropriate spiel has been developed: viewers are asked to send letters to Congress, call their Senators, and wage the battle using all constitutional means available. And, most importantly, not miss Lou Dobbs’s show, which will keep them informed of the latest events behind the fortress-like walls of the Capitol.

The conservative press believes that senators are preparing another amnesty on the sly without making a lot of noise about it or informing the public.

Now is not the most auspicious time for immigration reform in this country. Many Americans are truly concerned with the sharp increase in the size of the Spanish-speaking population. According to the latest data, for example, 30 percent of the population in the greater Washington D. C. area is foreign born. Many have not learned to speak English fluently. The populations of many medium-sized conservative cities in the Midwest are almost 50 percent immigrant. This has had a huge effect on lifestyle, which has been formed over hundreds of years. Newspapers regularly write about this, terrifying the descendents of the pilgrims with the threat of extinction, or at best with the prospect of becoming a minority. This is where violent anti-immigrant feelings find their roots.

Nevertheless, Sen. Durbin hopes for success. He needs the support of 60 senators to start the debate.

Yesterday a colorful demonstration in support of reform took place in Washington D. C. Dozens of young illegal immigrants whose fates depend on the Dream Act gathered at the National Press Club. To symbolize their dreams, each was dressed as an astronaut, a doctor, or a military official. Incidentally, supporters of the Dream Act believe that it will help fill out the ranks of the American army, which has recently had trouble recruiting the number of soldiers it needs. The Pentagon has even had to lower its standards. People can now enlist in the army even if they have a criminal record or do not have a high school diploma.

The Dream Act concerns only educated, trustworthy young people with spotless reputations (the legislation stipulates this as one of the main conditions for legalization). They study U.S. history in school, sing the national anthem, watch all the cult TV shows, and eat hamburgers and barbecue at traditional American picnics. They are Americans. Why send them back when the government has already spent so much money on them?