Congress Passes DREAM Act

House passes DREAM Act, but bill faces tough Senate vote Thursday

By Mike Lillis - 12/08/10 09:11 PM ET 

House lawmakers on Wednesday passed legislation allowing illegal immigrant students to remain permanently and legally in the United States.

The DREAM Act — a top priority of Democrats in both Congress and the White House — was approved by a tally of 216 to 198. Eight Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the bill, while 38 Democrats voted against it.

The bill now moves to the Senate, which is expected to take up the measure Thursday morning. The proposal's success is much less likely in the upper chamber, where a GOP filibuster will require 60 votes for passage. The Senate shot down a similar measure in 2007, and most of the opponents at the time haven't changed their positions over the last three years.  

First introduced in 2001, the House legislation extends conditional legal status for five years to those illegal aliens who:

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