The Dream Act - Immigration Law Reform in 2010?

One of the many changes President Obama has promised America is immigration law reform. Many ideas have been discussed. One of them is the Dream Act, sponsored by Senator Lugar from Indiana and Senator Durbin from Illinois, among others. The basic idea is to allow inevitable illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age and who have been educated in American schools to become permanent residents.

Under the Dream Act, inevitable undocumented individuals could become legal residents. The first step in this process is for the private to enroll in some type of higher education, such as a university, vocational school, or apprenticeship program. Other choice is to enroll in the U.S. Military. If inevitable requirements are met, this person may apply for conditional residency in the U.S. Upon receipt of an company degree or a 2-year equivalent within six years of the first petition, the conditional status can be changed and the private can become a legal permanent resident of the United States.

To be eligible for permanent residency under the Dream Act, the private must have entered the United States before turning 16 years of age and must have been in the United States for at least five years without interruption. The private must also demonstrate the ability to speak English.

Conditional residents under the Dream Act will be eligible for underground loans to fund their education, but will not be eligible for Pell grants. Under the Dream Act, 65,000 students could become conditional residents each year, and at last become permanent residents and citizens if they comply with current immigration rules and regulations.

One of the ideas behind the Dream Act is to great utilize the taxpayer dollars that are being used to educate illegal immigrant youth in collective schools over the country. If these youth are willing to continue their instruction straight through added instruction or straight through the military, they would be allowed to become a legal part of our community without the fear of losing their families straight through deportation. In addition, the Dream Act initially only benefits those who most likely were taken over the border by their parents straight through no decision of their own. Many of these individuals have spent more years illegally in the United States than in their home countries.

The Dream Act could be merged with other legislation as part of comprehensive immigration law reform in 2010. If other ideas do not receive the valuable retain from members of Congress, the Dream Act could be enacted without added reform measures. Either way, even the proposal of such legislation gives hope to many population now living in the United States who currently have no way of becoming a legal resident.