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April 25, 2014
by Jinnie Spiegler, Anti-Defamation League The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (the DREAM Act) was a bill in Congress that would have granted legal status to certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and went to school here. Although several versions of the bill have been introduced in Congress since 2001, it has never passed.
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by Jinnie Spiegler, Anti-Defamation League
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (the
DREAM Act) was a bill in Congress that would have granted legal status
to certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United
States as children and went to school here. Although several versions
of the bill have been introduced in Congress since 2001, it has never
passed.
In the last few years, the term “DREAMer” has been used to describe
young, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as
children, have lived and gone to school here and, in many cases,
identify as American. Under current immigration law, most of these
young people have no way to gain legal residency even though they have
lived in the United States most of their lives and have graduated from
high school in the United States. The DREAM Act would provide a pathway
to U.S. citizenship to certain undocumented youth who go to college or
join the armed services.
Each year about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high
schools and face uncertain futures due to their lack of legal status.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2020, 700,000
children and young adults would be eligible to earn permanent residence
under the DREAM Act, if it passes.
The DREAM Act, and the predicament of DREAMers, resonates with young
people. High school students are on the cusp of exploring and realizing
their own dreams for the future, including plans for college, career,
residence and family. They can often relate and empathize when a
DREAMer’s dreams cannot be fulfilled due to their immigration status.
As individual states attempt to pass their own versions of the DREAM
Act, the struggle for immigration legislation is often on the front
page of the newspaper and on the evening news.
It is estimated that only between 5-10% of undocumented high-school
graduates go to college—not because they don’t want to, but because
they cannot afford it (and some schools won’t allow them to enroll).
Most are not eligible for in-state tuition and financial aid, both of
which make college affordable. As a result, more than a dozen states
have passed laws that offer in-state tuition rates for undocumented
immigrants. However, only four states allow them to be eligible for
financial aid—California, New Mexico, Washington and Texas. State laws
cannot legalize the status of undocumented immigrants and create a path
towards citizenship. Only the federal government can do that.
According to a 2010 survey conducted by First Focus, 70%
of Americans favor the DREAM Act, a notable increase in support,
compared to a similar 2004 poll that placed public support at 58%.
