The DREAM Act, a bill that would open the door for children of undocumented immigrants to obtain legal status in the United States, will not be passed into law anytime soon. The U.S. Senate decided not to undertake a debate on the defense authorization bill to which the DREAM Act was tacked in the form of an amendment.

The decision to give up the debate on the bill, which is considered a particular failure for the Democrats, is a huge disappointment to all those who were counting on Congress to begin the reform of the immigration system.

The DREAM Act – the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act – was ideal for starting the reform process, since it was assumed that it would not draw too much controversy. After all, the project was difficult to classify as an "amnesty" and seen as a reward for breaking the law.  

The would-be beneficiaries of the DREAM Act have not committed any crimes or broken immigration laws because of one simple fact: they came to the United States when they were too young to be in control of their destiny. The DREAM Act would apply to those people who came to the United States before they turned 16 and have lived in the country for at least five years. Often the only language they know well is English and they don't have vivid memories of the country from which they came.

This time, the DREAM Act failed on procedural grounds. The fact that there was another controversial project included with the main bill – Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), a bill to take down a ban on homosexuals serving in the military to disclose their sexual orientation, which has been in place since 1993 – did not help the DREAM Act either.  The combination turned out to be a fatal decision.

There is still hope that Congress will go back to discussing the DREAM Act later this year, but that will be after the elections – during the so-called lame duck session. But passing legislation during this period is never good should the Democrats lose the majority in the House in the November 2 elections. Accusations will fly that the old Congress has acted without the nation's mandate.

Failing to pass the DREAM Act, however, will be a huge remorse for America. It will mean acceptance of legally sanctioned discrimination of thousands of young people for whom America is their home country; moreover, it will mean discrimination of young people who want to be productive in the United States by pursuing their education or service in the defense forces.

Even the greatest opponents of immigration reform admit that the DREAM Act raises much smaller doubts than a plan of legalization of millions of immigrants. Let's allow these young people to realize their American Dream. The decision to grow up in the United States was made for them when they were too young to have a say.