Item 2C: Adoption of Resolution Supporting DREAM Act

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NILC|.. ATIONAL MMIGRATION AW ENTER WWWNILCORG DREAM Act: Summary MARCH 2009 Updated T he DREAM Act is bipartisan legislation that addresses the tragedy of young people who grew up in the United States and have graduated from our high schools, but whose future is circumscribed by our current immigration laws. Under current law, these young people generally derive their immigration status solely from their parents, and if their parents are undocumented or in immigration limbo, most have no mechanism to obtain legal residency, even if they have lived most of their lives here in the U.S. The DREAM Act would provide such a mechanism for those who are able to meet certain conditions. The latest version of the DREAM Act, also known as the Development, Relief, and Education for AlienMinors Act (S. 729), was introduced on March 26, 2009, by Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) in the Senate. In the House of Representatives,the bill is called the American Dream Act (H.R. 1751), and it was introduced that same day by Howard Berman (D- CA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). The DREAM Act would enact two major changes in current law: Permit certain immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S. to apply for temporary legal status and to eventually obtain permanent status and become eligible for U.S. citizenship if they go to college or serve in the U.S. military; and Eliminate a federal provision that penalizes states that provide in-state tuition without regard to immigration status. If enacted, the DREAM Act would have a life-changing impact on the students who qualify, dramatically increasing their average future earnings—and consequently the amount of taxes they would pay—while significantly reducing criminal justice and social services costs to taxpayers. ñ÷ãö÷ûèçê÷éíöèô÷øê÷ûïûùèíö ìÛÈÔÈÍÐ×ÕÛÐÊ×ÉÓØ×ÎÙÃåÔÍÅÍÇÐØËÇÛÐÓÖÃý Under the DREAM Act, most students with good moral character who came to the U.S. at age 15 or younger at least five years before the date of the bill’s enactment would qualify for conditional permanent resident status upon acceptance to college, graduation from a U.S. high school, or being awarded a GED in the U.S. Students would not qualify for this relief if they had committed crimes, were a security risk, or were inadmissible or removable on certain other grounds. The Senate bill containsan additional requirement that the student be under age 35. ùÍÎØÓÈÓÍÎÛÐÌ×ÊÏÛÎ×ÎÈÊ×ÉÓØ×ÎÈÉÈÛÈÇÉ Conditional permanent resident status would be similar to lawful permanent resident status, except that it would be awarded for a limited duration—six years under normal circumstances— instead of indefinitely. LAW,DC OSNGELES(Headquarters)ASHINGTON 3435 Wilshire Boulevard1444 Eye Street, NW Suite 2850Suite 1110 Los Angeles, CA 90010Washington, DC 20005 213 639-3900202 216-0261 213 639-3911 fax202 216-0266 fax