Sen. Durbin Is Set To Revive DREAM Act Fight in This Congress

Tuesday, April 5 2011, 9:30 AM EST

The DREAM Act is coming back. After a bruising, nearly triumphant fight through Congress at the end of last year, Sen. Dick Durbin is preparing to reintroduce the bill this session, his office confirmed last week. The legislation seeks to create a path to citizenship for undocumented youth who grew up in the United States; it surged ahead on the congressional agenda last session as key Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, courted Latino voters in a hard-fought electoral cycle.

There are however already murmurs of disquiet among immigrant youth advocates who fear that the version of the bill Durbin plans to introduce will be far more narrow than the one they backed even a year ago. The bill’s scope has shrunk significantly as its congressional backers have sought bipartisan support.

“We know the DREAM Act is going to be coming out soon, and that it’s most likely going to be similar to the version that passed the House last time,â€