The New York state Assembly has once again passed the Dream Act, which would extend state financial aid to students who are in the country illegally.
Lawmakers in the Democrat-led chamber passed the measure Monday.
The proposal continues to face significant opposition in the Republican-led state Senate, however, and the odds of passage remain slim this year.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, says the state is now denying educational opportunities to thousands of immigrants who graduate from New York high schools.
According to legislative numbers, some 4,500 students who entered the country illegally graduate from state high schools each year.
