Congressional Democrats are rewriting immigration policy on the fly, in a legalization effort whose long-term consequences remain unclear.
An estimated 2 million illegal immigrants could gain legal status, and eventually U.S. citizenship, under what's called the DREAM Act. But even lawmakers and advocates are still coming to terms with the bill now chugging toward an uncertain destination.
"There's been a lot of confusion about what the DREAM Act does and doesn't do," noted Michelle Mittelstadt, a spokeswoman for the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.
This week, the Senate likely will take up the immigration bill again. Its fate could rest with lawmakers such as retiring Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, now the governor-elect of Kansas and a past supporter who missed last week's vote.
Privately, even supporters acknowledge their difficulties. Failure could poison future immigration reform negotiations, some fear, as the bill loses its old bipartisan glow.
Gallup reports on opinion about the issue:
