Hope for America’s Undocumented Youth: the DREAM Act

On July 1st, Barack Obama delivered his longest immigration speech to date at American University, where he called for congressional action to fix our “broken immigration system.” He took a pragmatic position, calling neither for total amnesty nor mass deportation, but rather a comprehensive immigration reform that would both increase border enforcement and provide a conditional pathway to citizenship for those already residing in the U.S. illegally.

Critics have claimed that, as usual on such matters, the speech was short on specifics. One of the only programs he explicitly mentioned, and stated his lasting support for, was the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. This popular measure, most recently introduced in 2009, is currently working its way through the congressional legislative process. The bill would provide undocumented students the opportunity to gain conditional citizenship after completing two years of college or military service, and six years displaying “good moral character” as a U.S. resident. States will also be allowed to determine if DREAM Act students would be eligible for in-state tuition payments.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Julia Nissen