The DREAM Act has suffered a defeat again. After a decade-long struggle to create a path to status legalization for children of illegal immigrants, it is hard to accept another failure.

In spite of huge mobilization of students and immigrants' advocates the attempt to pass the DREAM Act did not go through. Although the House of Representatives passed the bill, once again it fell prey to the procedural voting in the Senate. The 60 votes to finish the debate and proceed to the voting proper were missing. It turned out that even the outgoing Democrat-dominated Congress wasn't able to conduct at least a partial reform of the immigration system.

The future attempts to pass the DREAM Act will face much difficult political circumstances, as in the next term the issue of immigrants will most likely be even less popular on the Capitol.

The Republicans' opposition against the DREAM Act should not surprise anybody; what astounds though is the fact that many Democratic senators and congressmen voted against the bill. This proves how easily one can become convinced to join the other side of the immigration debate and bend under fear of losing votes, all the while repudiating the values America rests on.

Nevertheless, this may turn out to be a short sighted strategy.

The Latino groups, who would have benefited from the DREAM Act the most, are already swearing that in 2012 they will remember well who voted against the bill. What is worth remarking is that in each of the coming elections minorities will make up an increasingly numerous part of the electorate. They will gain more influence on the election results.

The DREAM Act raised far less controversy and doubt than the far-fetched immigration reform plans that involved providing legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants. The DREAM Act concerns only young people, who – although they are living in the United States illegally – didn't have a say in the choice of place to live when it was made for them. It was their parents who without their knowledge and consent chose where they would grow up. Although many cases no longer know their country of origin and have become fully integrated in the United States, they still have no legal rights to a comfortable life here. A guarantee for their further integration in America would require choosing to do military service or enroll in college in the United States.

Another failure of the DREAM Act is certainly not its final defeat. The bill will return to the Capitol and sooner or later it will be passed either as a separate project or included within a comprehensive immigration reform.

The Congress cannot continuously shun a problem of two million people who are living here illegally and want to pursue education like everybody else and be able to work. Sooner or later the Congress will have to deal with it. Not only because simple human decency requires they take action, but there are actually economic reasons that speak in favor of passing the bill.

America needs young and educated people. Some of them are already living in the United States. It is enough to allow them to live a normal life here.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses" reads the inscription on the Statue of Liberty that welcomes visitors coming to America. Apparently this invitation was not extended to those who are already living here, and for whom the decision to grow up in this country was made when they were little.