Foster 'proud' to vote for DREAM Act to protect migrants
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville called his vote for a bill to provide legal status for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children one of his proudest moments in Congress.
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, Act was originally filed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, in 2001, but has never been passed, although it's been brought up multiple times in subsequent congressional sessions.
"I’ve been fighting every way I can to make the DREAM Act a reality," Foster said. "These are patriotic Americans who deserve our support."
Still, the legislation is unlikely to be voted on in the Republican-controlled Senate, which, according to Foster, is evidence of a broken system.
He said a bill like this nets support from the majority of Americans and would get bipartisan support in the Senate if it were called up for a vote. Foster said he would like any Senator willing to vote against it to ask if "they’re really doing anything to help our democracy work better."
"Simply put, we are a better nation because of them, and I am proud to represent communities like Aurora, Joliet, Bolingbrook and Naperville, where immigrants are welcomed, and diversity is celebrated," Foster said.