Senate Expected to Vote on DREAM Act Soon

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D. Nev., is expected to bring the Development, Relief and Education for Minors (DREAM) Act to the floor this month. It will be offered as an amendment to a defense bill.

The DREAM Act would provide undocumented immigrant youth whose parents brought them to the U.S. with a path to citizenship if they pursue higher education or serve in the military for at least two-years. 

Currently, undocumented immigrant youth are ineligible for financial aid or private scholarships, making higher education unnecessarily difficult. Many of these undocumented immigrant youth moved to the U.S. when they were too young to have had any control over the decision to enter the U.S. illegally. 

Many civil rights organizations including The Leadership Conference support the bill because it would ensure that children who have worked hard, graduated from high school, and have been model citizens receive the opportunity to pursue the American dream and contribute to society.

 “[The bill] will help our country prevent the loss of another generation of young people who stand to contribute to the economic, social, and national security interests of the nation,” said Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza.

A Migration Policy Institute study estimates that about 825,000 of the 2.1 million eligible immigrant youth would achieve legal permanent status under the act, which would considerably increase the number of qualified military recruits and potential employees in the United States.