Showdown in Congress over DREAM Act

By Elizabeth Llorente

Published November 17, 2010

SEP 10 2008: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) addresses the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's 31st annual awards gala at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

2008 Getty Images

With the clock ticking before Republicans take over the House of Representatives, President Obama and Democrats are indicating they are prepared to make a full-throttle push to pass an immigration bill during the lame duck session.

But many on both sides of the immigration debate say that the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which would allow undocumented students to attend college at in-state tuition rates and earn legal status, faces a slim chance of becoming a reality.

Proponents of tough immigration enforcement say President Obama and Congress have far more pressing issues to address – such as unemployment and other economic problems – to tackle a subject as complex and divisive as immigration.

“Ultimately, Congress’s big job in the lame duck session is to figure out whether they want to extend Bush-era tax cuts, and deal with spending bills,â€