Before his re-election as the senior senator from Nevada, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed to bring the DREAM Act to the Senate floor during the lame duck session. The legislation – the full title of which is the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act – would provide higher education opportunities and a path to citizenship for undocumented alien students who were brought to America as minors.

As reported in the November Congressional Digest, the DREAM Act failed to pass in September when it was considered as part of a Defense Department authorization measure, falling prey to the threat of a filibuster by its opponents. If it’s considered as a standalone measure, instead of as an amendment to another bill, it may fare differently. The Democrats still hold a slim majority in the Senate, and some outgoing senators who previously opposed the bill may be willing to support it now that the elections are over. 

Another factor is the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives. Supporters of the DREAM Act would prefer to see that bill passed as part of comprehensive immigration reform, but that item may not be on the agenda of the new House leadership.