The Dream Act signed last Saturday by Jerry Brown, the governor of California, allows irregular foreign but deserving students to benefit from public grants. Through this Act, California takes a stand in the power play concerning immigration, which has paralyzed and divided the US over the last years. As for other States, such as Arizona, Georgia, Utah, Indiana, South Carolina and Alabama, they decided to stand on the other side of the fence. Undoubtedly, the decision taken by the Orange County, the richest and most populous state in the US, represents a qualitative leap, an actual turning point. First of all, indeed, because it determines an acceleration of the political struggle on a key topic, such as immigration, for next year presidential election campaign. The Congress has certainly no intention to take now any decision on this matter. Thus, California overcame the long lasting stalemate that punished also the “hawk”, George Bush. Secondly, the Dream Act is particularly important because it underlines the contrasts existing not only “between” the two main competing political parties, but also within them. This is evident from the scathing criticisms against the republican governor of Texas, Rick Perry. He was considered guilty for agreeing with the Californian Dream Act. However, the asymmetry between the central government’s incapacity/inability to decide and the singles states’ will to be at the centre of the attention (and the Dream Act is a perfect example of that) may lead to potential explosive institutional consequences for the American immigration history. It is like stepping back to 1875, when the Supreme Court stated, with the historical sentence n.275, that immigration matters are the sole responsibility of federal government and not of the single states, as it was until then.
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