Cloture Approaching on DREAM Act

Senate Democratic leaders have scheduled a showdown vote Wednesday on a bill that would give children brought to the USA by illegal immigrant parents a chance to qualify for citizenship.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the legislation's chief sponsor, said Tuesday that his biggest challenge was ensuring that supporters, including five senators — four Democrats and one Republican — running for president, make it to the Capitol for the roll call.

Another question mark: Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, who are trying to return to California to review wildfire damage.

The bill, known as the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act, would grant legal status to children and young adults who arrived here before the age of 16 and who have lived in the USA at least five years — if they complete two years of post-secondary education or two years of military service.

All three students have legal status. Manuel Bartsch, a college freshman from Ohio, and Marie Gonzalez, a college junior from Missouri, both had deportation orders postponed because of the intervention of members of Congress. Tam Tran, a recent UCLA graduate, had her deportation stayed because Germany, the country where she was born after her parents fled Vietnam, refused to accept the family back.