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Derek Washington cheers during a rally Sept. 21, 2010, in downtown Las Vegas to support the DREAM Act.
Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010 | 9:41 p.m.
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Standing above a crowd of protestors outside the Lloyd George Federal Building, 18-year-old Claudia Anaya was mid-sentence when she suddenly began to cry.
For a moment, the crowd that had previously been shouting through bullhorns and eliciting honks from passing motorists fell silent.
Gathering herself, Anaya brought the bullhorn speaker to her mouth and finished her sentence.
“This hurts so much inside. I’ve been fighting so hard for this,” she said. “We need this now. Don’t let people stay home. We need to fill this whole street up with everybody.”
Anaya was one of the 50 students and activists who marched from the Las Vegas Academy to the federal building Tuesday to voice their frustration toward Republican politicians who refused debate on the DREAM Act and the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding gays in the military.
The DREAM Act would offer citizenship for illegal immigrants who entered the country as children and enroll in college or enlist in the military. The act, as well as a proposed repeal to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that bans homosexuals from openly serving in the military, were amendments to the military spending bill that was shot down Tuesday by Republicans.
Anaya, who was born in Mexico and came to America as a child, was directly impacted by Tuesday’s vote against the defense bill. She had hopes of attending UNLV on scholarship but now won’t be able to.
“We finally had something. We could have done something about it, but it was just shut down,” she said. “My heart sinks. I told my mom I thought this would go through; we were doing so much.”
Michael Flores, an activist with the Las Vegas-based Progress NowNevada, Vincenta Montoya, an immigration attorney, and Isaac Barron, a high school teacher, organized the rally. They had originally planned to use the demonstration as a public demand for the passage of the DREAM Act.
But after news of the Senate’s derailing of the bill and its included amendments, the rally took on a new shape: Thanking those who helped the cause and demanding that the DREAM Act not become a standalone bill.
“If the DREAM act is a standalone bill, it dies. It’s not going anywhere,” Montoya said.
Flores said he was “disheartened” after watching the Senate action on C-SPAN. He said his hope for the passage of the bill began to dissipate after Sen. John McCain spoke out against the included amendments.
“I knew we were in trouble,” Flores said.
Montoya voiced her disapproval of Senate Republicans while commending Sen. Harry Reid for trying to pass the DREAM Act.
“He literally was putting his career on the line,” she said. “Election day is coming soon, and we are not going to forget who helped us and who did not help us.”
At about 4:15 p.m., the crowd proceeded up and down Las Vegas Boulevard, between Bridger and Clark avenues, with homemade signs and an American flag . The demonstrators shouted, “Together. United. We’ll never be divided” and “Ensign. Escuchas. Estamos en la lucha,” roughly translating to, “Ensign. Listen. We’re in the fight.”
Sen. John Ensign was one of the senators who voted against passage of the defense bill.
Near the end of the rally, Flores, Montoya and others spoke, encouraging the crowd to call their senators and demand that action be taken on the DREAM Act and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
A Spanish teacher from the West Career and Technical Academy, Elizabeth Campbell, said many of her students would benefit from passage of the DREAM Act.
“When you think about kids who have been here five years or more, they don’t have a life to go back to anywhere else,” Campbell said. “We’ve already invested thousands of dollars in these kids’ education; let them work. Let them pay back. They’re American.”
"She had hopes of attending UNLV on scholarship but now won't be able to."
Ah, what a shame. Now an AMERICAN student will get the scholarship. Which is how it should be.
Boo-Hoo I just really feel sooooo bad for you all.
Harry Reid has just about come to the end of his career because he won't support the E-verify system that checks all employees legal status and fines the employers who hires illegals. Instead he wants to cuddle them and reward them for breaking the law.
Vote Reid out of office!
Yea, I know already, I'm a bigot, but I wasn't always like this. But when I got laid off from MGM/Mirage and illegals were still working, I changed. Being a legal American citizen doesn't mean anything anymore. And having an honorable discharge doesn't mean squat either. Seems like the American citizen is always coming in last lately, and I for one am sick of it.
The Party of Harry Truman appears to be in a desperate race to shoot themselves in the foot more times than the Party of Herbert Hoover in advance of the mid-term elections...don't ask, don't tell and the dream act are all political hot potatoes that the Sharron Angles of the world will pounce upon like ducks on junebugs.
If they are illegal..their parents are illegal. This Dream Act would be nothing but a nightmare for persons who came here legally and obeyed United States laws. The Dream Act would enable those illegal parents to be sponsored by their children. This is what most people do not understand. It is a sneaky means of pushing amnesty on citizens of the United States.People who are unemployed because of our economy being overburdened by Illegal Aliens (not Immigrants)
who are using their Anchor Children's Social Security cards to obtain employment, There is no birth date listed on Social Security Cards. Get the picture? States are overburdened with Welfare and Medicaid payments. Sorry to tell you this but the Dream Act is just a sneaky end run around our Constitution.
I HAD a DREAM!
These people want to be awarded after they, or their parents, illegally entered this country? Keep DREAMing!
This is one of the few issues surrounding illegal immigrants that gives me pause for thought. There is some merit to the argument that the children of illegal immigrants should not be punished for the sins of the parents.
The problem I have with the DREAM act is that if other laws prohibiting the hiring of illegals are not enforced then this will be an even larger inducement for further illegal immigration.
Harry Reid has proposed comprehensive immigration reform that is predicated upon tight border security and strict enforcement of hiring laws. His proposal also included a "path to citizenship" for those who are already here illegally. He explicitly stated that none of his proposal could be passed without stopping the flow of illegal immigrants first.
This act by Harry directly contradicts his proposal and is therefore a blatant political act rather than one of humanitarianism.
The decline of our local population, of both legal and illegal residents, proves that the inability of finding work will have a direct, and significant impact upon illegal immigration.
Harry Reid MUST be voted out of office so real immigration controls can be put in place.
Help stop illegal immigration. Get involved with a MILLION other people. HERE'S HOW: http://www.numbersusa.com/content/action...
good
Sad thing is I have been a Democrat for going on 40 years. The democrats have not been taking care of their constituents and have been showing their interests in giving illegal aliens a pathway to citizenship to simply give themselves the Hispanic vote. Why do something showing we the people that you are more worried about foreigners here illegally than the citizens. This will not benefit the citizens at all, and it will make it harder for citizens to get back the work the undocumented
have taken away from the citizens. Doesn't Harry realize he can't fool us any more?
He is more worried about the 15% of the hispanic vote that he didn't think that now that he has shown the public his true colors, our citizens won't vote for him because he can't be trusted any more. It was his decision.
"'He (Senator Reid) literally was putting his career on the line,' she said. 'Election day is coming soon, and we are not going to forget who helped us and who did not help us.'"
Just another example why the Republican Party is doomed.
They want to fall back on history only, in that what happened in 1994 in the Senate and the House taken over by their party, will happen again. Because the party in power loses seats.
But they do nothing to make sure history is on their side. The Republicans, besides conducting a civil war amongst themselves and glorifying idiots like Newt Gingrich and Sara Palin, happily vote no on just about everything. In this instance, for 48 years in a row, a defense bill has always been approved. The Republican Party voted it down, rejecting and shunning our armed fighting men. Men who are the tip of the spear and deserve respect.
As a retired Navy veteran, I have always said the Republican Party uses us as political pawns. Republicans don't understand diplomacy. They only understand starting a war. We're cannon fodder for their aims of achieving power, glory, money and greed. This is why I have absolutely no respect for Republicans. Because they take the easy way out, using us to manipulate what they want. They are users and takers...and give nothing in return...except empty words and...coffins.
Enough. No more of their nonsense. Nevada, and the United States, have been screwed by them over and over and over and over yet again. Bush and his entire administration were a very good example of incompetence, ineffectiveness and uncaringness.
Because they don't serve people. They serve themselves.
In November, my vote goes Democrat for everything at the election booth. Because every one of them is pretty much as useless as mammaries on a mushroom.
And after we get rid of them, we're not done. Ensign is next to get rid of...either impeach, vote out, slapped out by a Senate ethics committee and/or handcuffed and apprehended for felony corruption charges...don't matter...just so long as he's gone. Because, as of right now, he has the distinction of being in charge of ALL useless politicians in Nevada. I remind everyone that he voted no on this bill...along with just about everything so far. He has voted no so much, even on the most innocent bills, and bills that Republicans created, that I am very sure Senator Ensign has no earthly clue what the other button says or what other options for votes are...just NO...NO...that's all he knows. He serves himself. Not Nevadans.
so just what go you want to do with a 16 year old child who crossed into the U S in mamma's arms at 2 years old . has no knowledge of their crime or culpability . currently they can be arrested thrown into jail and deported to a place they have never been . do we have a better idea republicans ? if so let's hear it .
This bill by Reid is funny.
All, like in ALL, will have an immedite path to citizenship.
All they need to do is claim that they were a child when they enter the country. Who can prove that is correct or not?
Then they sign up for a class at some community college.
Boom....you will have 10 to 20 million new citizens overnight.
"If the DREAM act is a standalone bill, it dies. It's not going anywhere," Montoya said.
Doesn't that tell you something? All this piggybacking of bills with one another has done nothing but serve the special interests. This has Harry Reids special interest to salvage his election.
If the bill has merit, let it stand alone!
Illegal is Illegal. Can we agree on this? Where in the world can a person or persons protest openly and loudly, and the person or persons are not a legal resident of the country? I mean, the person or persons entired the country illegal, or are residing in the country illegal and the person or persons are scream for rights like they are legal residents! Only in America. This is wrong, this send the wrong message. This is why the moderate segment of America have a movement (TEA Party) protesting and replacing the local incumbents and the Washington incumbents because the people in office have forgotten or just refuse to acknowledge the law and act to enforce the law. Wrong is Wrong. Illegal is Illegal. Children from good homes know Right from Wrong. This is the kind of issue that will replace Harry Reid if [He]can no longer see the difference from Right and Wrong. Illegal is Illegal. Once you make the Illegal person legal through a circumventing process then the Illegal who you make legal will have no respect for the laws or an understanding of what their responsibility are as a citizen. Illegal is Illegal, Wrong is Wrong. The people who understand this are the ones active and voting this year and making a difference.
Most of these mush for brains people have no clue of what they wish for. Just a bunch of sheep following an extremist.
wah wah wah!!!! should we even care what illegals think? you don't like it, I don't care. You shouldn't be here.
As a true moderate I vote the issues. I don't believe in the dogma of either party and would never vote a straight party ticket without researching both sides. The suggestion that the Tea Party is the movement of the moderate voter is truly incredible
I served with many "non-citizens" in the Marine Corps, and they were some the best "Americans" I have had the honor to know. They believe in the ideals and values of this country, and they put on the uniform to demonstrate just how much they believe. I'm almost certain most of the people who oppose the DREAM Act can not say the same.
But keep putting those ridiculous stickers on your cars, and keep advocating for wars you'd never let your children fight, because as I'm sure you know, your kids are simply too good to be in the military.
The day this country became less about "the best man for the job, no matter where he came from," and more about "I was born here, so I'm entitled," was the day we began our decline.
Who first proposed the Dream Act? Was it not Sen. Hatch of Utah?
Go to Mexico as a criminal invader and see what happens to you!
Legal Foreigners in the military is not the problem, I knew quite a few. Criminal invaders can be a large security problem.
"i dont remember irish, and european immigrants DEMANDING citizenship when they arrived, they WORKED for it."-gbigs
This is exactly what the DREAM Act encourages people to do. To earn their citizenship through military service and through the pursuit of higher education.
Senator Reid, you need to hang your head in shame attempting to slip in a bill for your self benefit that gives a deserving pay raise to our American Heros and Warriers. Have you no shame? You have reached the lowest of the low.
They had no business slipping the DREAM ACT into a Bill that give pay raises to our troops. It was a cheap ploy and shows you how low this Administration will go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAhr4hZD...
Stryker
There is a difference between legal aliens and illegal aliens. Legal aliens can serve in the military. Illegal aliens do not have the "legal" papers to allow them to enlist.
An Illegal is an Illegal! A legal immigrant is an immigrant, NEVER CONFUSE THE TWO!
The ONLY way an illegal can ever be a legal immigrant is to go back to their country and go through the immigration process like every other immigrant does.
It's a slap in the face of every legal immigrant that took the time and effort to do it correctly, it also tells a lot about the person. WE DON'T WANT OR NEED LAW BREAKERS THAT DON'T RESPECT OUR SYSTEM OF LAWS and enter OUR country illegally!
doutl13, I understand that, but if able bodied men and women are willing to "earn" their citizenship through the means of military service, which last time I checked and participated in, was no easy welfare service, why not give them that opportunity if they are in this country already?
I'm not sure if you are aware of Sgt. Rafael Peralta's story, if not, I'd encourage you to read up about him. He was born in Mexico City, and came here with his family as a minor, many believe as an "illegal." He received the Navy Cross posthumously for his actions in Iraq, a medal second only to the Medal of Honor. Some believe his questionable immigration status played a part in the decision to award him the Navy Cross instead of the Medal of Honor.
I'd take a Sgt. Peralta over 1000 spoiled born here Americans any day. He embodied the American system of values so many people speak of in error.
I wasn't sure how I felt about this, but after reading Strykertyme's comments, I agree with him. Specifically, this comment:
if able bodied men and women are willing to "earn" their citizenship through the means of military service, which last time I checked and participated in, was no easy welfare service, why not give them that opportunity if they are in this country already?
Shame on you strykertyme. Our government has really
got you fooled. this is all to make we the people to think that these people who have been breaking our federal immigration laws deserve a right to become a citizen. They tug at our hearts because of their children whom they brought over illegally into our country trying to get away with their crimes.
Stryker, what if 2o million more families came into our country claiming Mexico was not treating them right, would we at that time say "make them citizens"?
Didn't Ronnie Raygun tell us that after the amnesty he granted to these illegals, that this would be the last time we will do this as a country.
It is truly amazing but believable that our citizens are so forgetful. No wonder it will be listed in the anals of our history that there were too many citizen bending over picking up pennies rather trying to understand the big picture.
Should we say we get what we deserve?
Now Reid should know why hs is going to lose.
"When you think about kids who have been here five years or more, they don't have a life to go back to anywhere else," Campbell said. "We've already invested thousands of dollars in these kids' education; let them work. Let them pay back. They're American."
How are they American? Are they here illegally? I am confuse or maybe the speaker is confuse?
I had to wipe the tears from my eyes before I could write. These morons are the usual suspects, dug up by the Reid forces for political gains. What is sad is the fact they are not smart enough to notice. Listen up...if you are here illegally...you are breaking the law. GO HOME, THEN COME BACK LEGALLY!!!
The problem with that misterright, is that if they came here as children, there home is HERE - they have no other home...
I've noticed everyone who is against this has no other solution to propose.
illegal immigrants are criminals, nothing more...you want to come here to the United States and reap the benefits; then immigrate legally, become a naturalized citizen and then you reap the benefits...For illegals to expect any benefits of this country, just because you are here is just Ludicrous...
If I am a criminal, i get sent to jail, why should illegal immigrants be treated any different???
"The problem with that misterright, is that if they came here as children, there home is HERE - they have no other home..."
Their home - should be with their parents if they are not adults! Their parents need to go back to Mexico - and they can take the children with them!
The DREAM Act would split up the families! Isn't that what the pro-amnesty side is supposedly worried about?
The audacity of the illegals never cease to astonish.