DREAM Act
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| Colloquial name(s) | DREAM Act |
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| Introduced on | August 1, 2001 |
| Sponsored by | Dick Durbin, Orrin Hatch |
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The DREAM Act (acronym for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) is an American legislative proposal for a multi-phase process for undocumented immigrants in the United States that would first grant conditional residency and upon meeting further qualifications, permanent residency.
The bill was first introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2001, S
Supporters argue that the Act would not create an "amnesty program" and would produce a variety of social and economic benefits, while critics contend that it would reward undocumented individuals and encourage more of it, inviting fraud and shielding gang members from deportation.
Beneficiaries of the DREAM Act must meet the following requirements:
During the first six years, qualifying people would be granted "conditional" status and would be required to (a) graduate from a two-year community college or (b) complete at least two years towards a four-year degree or (c) serve two years in the US military. After this six-year period, those who meet at least one of these three conditions would be eligible to apply for permanent resident status. During this six-year conditional period, they would not be eligible for federal higher education grants such as Pell grants but they would be able to apply for student loans and work study.
If they have met all of the conditions at the end of the 6-year conditional period, they would be granted permanent residency, which would eventually allow them to become U.S. citizens. It is not known how many of those eligible would go on to complete the further requirements. One organization estimated that only 7,000–13,000 college students nationally can fulfill the further obligations. A different analysis found that over 2 million individuals could benefit under the Act.
After having obtained and held conditional resident status, permanent residency may be granted if the following requirements have been met in a period of six years.
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