The Senate has decided to temporarily drop plans to bring an amendment to the floor that would grant hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens "back door" amnesty through the so-called DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act):

The bill — officially the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act — would allow illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. before the age of 16, and who have lived here at least five years, to receive conditional legal status if they have graduated from high school and have a clean record.

After six years, they could become permanent legal residents if they serve in the U.S. military for at least two years or complete at least two years of college. As with most green card holders, they could apply for citizenship after five years. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimates that slightly more than 1 million high school graduates and children still in class could gain legal status under the legislation.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pledged that senators would vote on the the measure, which is strongly opposed by anti-illegal immigration groups, before the Senate finishes its work for the year in mid-November. "All who care about this matter should know that we will move to proceed to this matter before we leave here," he said.