Immigration Reform 2014: New York Senate Rejects Dream Act In 30-29 Vote

The New York Senate has voted against the Dream Act, a controversial bill that would allow students that are undocumented immigrants to get state financial aid. The Assembly passed the Dream Act last month and included it in its budget resolutions. However, the Senate has today rejected the vote. New York Times Reporter Thomas Kaplan tweeted "New York Senate rejects the Dream Act, which would grant state tuition aid to undocumented immigrants, by a vote of 30 to 29."

The Dream Act had several supporters in high places: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan had both come out in support of the bill. It became an important issue for breakaway Democrats in the Senate who recently got behind the bill, with several Republican Senators signed on as sponsors. The proposal included a budget appropriation of $25 million to open up Tuition Assistance Program money for students at both public and private colleges.

Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Queens), who was the lead sponsor for the bill, was deeply disappointed. “I was hopeful until this morning,” he told New York Daily News, but after it was not included in the Senate's budget "everything changed.” The news comes as a striking blow after Governor Cuomo failed to include the bill in his budged. “The governor needs to show his leadership on this issue the same way he did it for marriage equality, minimum wage and the SAFE Act,” Moya said. “It is time for him to demonstrate he cares about the Latino community.”