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Obama calls ‘DREAM’ Act defeat ‘incredibly disappointing’
President Barack Obama recently said that it was "incredibly disappointing" that Republicans in the Senate decided to block the DREAM Act, which would have given some illegal immigrants the chance to earn legal status, the Associated Press reports.
In a statement, Obama called the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act the right thing for the country to do. He added that the act would be significant for economic competitiveness, law enforcement efforts and military readiness, the news source said.
Obama added that there was "simply no reason" to not pass the legislation, according to the AP.
Recently, the bill fell just five votes short of the 60 it needed to move forward. The bill would have allowed illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to have an opportunity to receive legal status if they joined the military or enrolled in a college.
According to the news provider, critics argued that the measure could potentially encourage more illegal immigration.
Despite the Congressional defeat of the DREAM Act, foreigners seeking U.S. green card eligibility can do so through the EB-5 visa program. Such eligibility can be obtained by making a $1 million (or in some areas $500,000) investment in an American project or company that creates or maintains at least 10 full-time jobs.