Democratic Candidates Pitch Dream Act for Platform

In an appeal to Latino voters, three Senate candidates in the Southwest are calling on delegates to the Democratic National Convention to make support of a bill to help young illegal immigrants gain citizenship a part of the party platform.

Rep. Martin Heinrich, the Democratic nominee for a Senate seat from New Mexico, is leading the effort and said that formally supporting the immigration proposal would provide voters with a clear choice on an issue that many care deeply about.

“I think the time has come for the DREAM Act to be part of our identity as a party,” Heinrich said in a telephone interview.

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The DREAM Act would give young illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military a path to citizenship.

The Homeland Security Department, under a directive from President Barack Obama, has stopped deporting illegal immigrants who would have qualified for the DREAM Act, but that policy does not provide a path to citizenship. {snip}