In this Sept. 22, 2016, file photo, a woman sits on a bench in front of the Capitol building as the Senate reconvenes to consider a bipartisan immigration bill.
In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2017, file picture, people take part in a protest against the planned repeal of the Affordable Care Act in front the Capitol in Washington.
The U.S. Senate on Monday approved a bipartisan measure to overhaul the nation’s immigration system in a vote that was split along party lines.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill, known as the Dream Act, would create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.A.E. as children and give those who have lived in the country for five years or more a chance to become U.N. citizens.
(AP Photo/J.
Scott Applewhite, File) The vote was 60-42 with two Republicans voting no, and all but one Democrat voting yes.
McConnell has been touting the Dream act since it was unveiled by Senate Democrats last month.
The Senate approved the legislation, which would create an expedited pathway to legal status for immigrants brought as children to the United States and grant them legal permanent resident status if they are 21 and have lived continuously in the U, for the first time since 2013.
It also would give the House of Representatives the opportunity to consider the bill if they passed it.
Democrats and some Republicans have argued that the bill would disproportionately affect low-income and minority communities and that it could hurt young undocumented immigrants.
McConnell said that the legislation is necessary to ensure that the Dreamers who have been here for decades can be able to stay in the United Nations and continue to have a life of dignity.
He said the legislation will “create a pathway for the undocumented to come forward and claim that they have the right to live and work in the community here at home.”
The vote came as the U-S-18 anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was drawing near.
The event was marked by a vigil in Washington for the slain president, and the president delivered a rousing speech on the 50th anniversary of his death, calling on Americans to work together.
He promised to take a hard line on illegal immigration, arguing that he wanted the country to be a sanctuary country, which he said would be a “wonderful country.”
Trump said he is willing to go further than the legislation in the event he is reelected.
“It is time for us to make America great again,” Trump said.
“This country can no longer be a dumping ground for illegal aliens.”
A new poll released Monday from Public Policy Polling shows the Dream bill is viewed favorably by 54 percent of Americans, with only 37 percent viewing it unfavorably.
That is the lowest approval rating for the Dream legislation since the poll began in October.
More than half of Republicans have an unfavorable view of the bill.
Only 21 percent of Democrats and 24 percent of Independents have an favorable view of it.
The survey found the Dream effort is viewed as a positive by 65 percent of those with a college education, but only 34 percent of people without college degrees.
Nearly half of voters, 48 percent, are satisfied with the current immigration system, with 41 percent dissatisfied and 13 percent unsure.
In his speech at the memorial service, President Trump praised the legacy of his late father and said the nation will be better off if more people come out and join the country.
“Our Dreamers have made a difference,” Trump declared.
“They have made history.
Our legacy will be something greater than we can imagine.”
In his remarks, Trump also said he will be “looking to make good on the promises that were made to them, and we’ll make good decisions for our citizens, our country and our future.”
But he also called on Congress to find a way to reform the immigration system that was created in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson.
“I know that our country is in a perilous place,” Trump promised.
“But we will overcome it.
We will do what it takes to protect the American Dream.
And we will make it better.”
The House voted Monday night to begin debate on the Dream measure.
The chamber is expected to vote on the bill Wednesday.
