Dear [% recip.FIRSTNAME({ifEmpty='AILA Advocate'}) %]:

In early November, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) promised to bring up key immigration-related legislation before the end of the year. Since then, momentum has been steadily building to bring up the DREAM Act and AgJOBS for a vote during the current lame duck session of Congress.

Last Wednesday, Sen. Reid announced that he would seek to pass the DREAM Act as a stand-alone bill, and soon thereafter Sen. Durbin (D-IL) re-introduced two new versions of the bill (S.3962 and S.3963). On Thursday, Sen. Reid used Senate Rule XIV which allowed the two measures to bypass referral to a committee for debate and mark-up, and instead placed them directly on the Senate calendar for possible action.

Congress is in recess this week, BUT we expect events to unfold quickly when members return to D.C. on Monday, November 29th. In order for the DREAM Act to be considered as a stand-alone bill, Sen. Reid would first have to file cloture (to thwart a potential Republican filibuster) and then wait the requisite one day and one hour before a cloture vote could be taken. If the cloture vote garners the 60 votes necessary for passage, debate on the DREAM Act would be limited to 30 hours. At this point, the earliest opportunity for Sen. Reid to file cloture would be Monday, November 29th - meaning that action on the DREAM Act Could take place as EARLY as Wednesday, December 1st.

Here's how we expect the next weeks to play out:

• TODAY, November 22nd at 5pm EST, Rep. Ackerman (D-NY) sent out a Dear Colleague Letter (with at least 75 co-signers ) to all members of the House of Representatives asking for the passage of the DREAM Act.
• TODAY, November 22nd at 2:45pm EST - Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Rep. Berman are sponsored a Bipartisan House Briefing on the DREAM Act.
• THIS WEEK - Calls and emails are needed to Member offices while they are at home for Thanksgiving break urging action on the DREAM Act and AgJOBS upon their return.
• NEXT WEEK - Depending on the timing of any potential cloture motion being filed, we need to mobilize action swiftly in support of the DREAM Act and AgJOBS. Our window of opportunity may well only last until the end of the week.

TAKE ACTION NOW ON DREAM AND AGJOBS! Because we expect action to happen quickly, it's more important than ever you to take action TODAY by writing and calling your member of Congress and urging them to support both these common-sense and urgently needed immigration measures. To date, AILA has sent more than 2,400 emails to Congress urging passage of DREAM and AgJOBS. Keep them coming!

CLICK HERE TO SEND A LETTER TO YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS - we'll provide you with an editable email you can send to your members showing your support for these measures.

CLICK HERE TO CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS - we'll provide you with talking points and contact information for your members of Congress.