Education

The ‘DREAM Act’ Is Reintroduced in Congress

By Mary Ann Zehr — March 27, 2009 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or “DREAM Act,” which would provide a path to legalization in this country for undocumented students who attend college or join the military, was reintroduced this week in Congress (hat tip to ImmigrationProf Blog). Proponents of the act include the National Council of La Raza. See a press release on the legislation from the National Immigration Law Center posted at change.org.

It’s amazing to me that some of these undocumented students who graduated from U.S. high schools are attending Ivy League schools or are in graduate school. But it’s only a few. The vast majority of undocumented students do not go on to college. And those who get college or graduate degrees have no prospect of being able to use them in meaningful employment as immigration law stands now.

Opponents of the DREAM Act characterize it as a form of amnesty for illegal immigrants. They generally argue that anyone who is undocumented should return to his or her country of origin.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Learning the Language blog.