Activists from the Student Immigrant Movement march in support of the DREAM Act. Obama wants DREAM Act soon

President Barack Obama told Democratic members of Congress Tuesday he wants the DREAM Act passed in the lame duck session as a “down payment” on substantial immigration reform, according to members at the meeting.

And, he said, he’d call resistant senators to get them on board.


The president told Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Reps. Nydia Velasquez (D-N.Y.) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) in a meeting at the White House that he would call members holding out on approving the DREAM Act, which provides a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants who complete two years of college or military service.

“What we said to him was, ‘We know you’re for comprehensive immigration reform. We have a window. It’s closing. Be for this. Let’s all be for this specific part,’ ” Gutierrez told reporters off the floor of the House. “And he said, ‘I will call the members and say I’m for comprehensive immigration reform, reiterate my commitment to it. I’d like this as a down payment.’ ”

“Nydia asked him if he’d help. And he said just call me and give me the names. And he would begin to personally call members that need it. Any help that we need in terms of phone calls,” Gutierrez said. “He said ‘My policy is the following. I will call and tell them I am committed to comprehensive immigration reform. Give me the dream act in the lame duck.’”

The measure was attached to the defense authorization bill in the Senate just before Congress left town to campaign for the Nov. 2 elections, but stalled.

In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said last week she plans to bring the measure to the floor before the end of the year.

Democrats are eager to address the concerns of Latino voters who have been disappointed that Congress hasn’t passed a bill with a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. But Latinos still turned out on Nov. 2, supporting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), among other candidates.

And Gutierrez said he reminded Obama that Latinos were a key voting bloc.

“We did tell him that there’s a gentleman named Bennet in Colorado, and a gentleman named Reid, and a gentle lady named Boxer,” Gutierrez aid. “Give them a ring.”