What is the DREAM Act?

The DREAM Act (acronym for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) is an American legislative proposal first introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2001,[1] by Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch.[2]

This bill would provide conditional permanent residency to certain illegal individuals of good moral character who graduate from U.S. high schools, arrived in the United States as minors, and lived in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment. If they were to complete two years in the military or two years at a four-year institution of higher learning, they would obtain temporary residency for a six-year period. Within the six-year period, they may qualify for permanent residency if they have "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or [have] completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States" or have "served in the armed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, [have] received an honorable discharge".[3] Military enlistment contracts require an eight-year commitment, with active duty commitments typically between four and six years, but as low as two years.[4][5] "Any alien whose permanent resident status is terminated... shall return to the immigration status the alien had immediately prior to receiving conditional permanent resident status under this Act."[6] This bill would have included illegal immigrants as old as 35 years of age.




On Friday, June 15th, President Obama announced his plan of stopping the deportation of illegal immigrants who came into the United States as children. 


"This is not amnesty. This is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship. It's not a permanent fix," Obama said to take on conservative criticism of the step. "This is a temporary stopgap measure."



Rep. Steve King of Iowa, a leading GOP foe of Democratic proposals for immigration reform, threatened to file a lawsuit asking the courts to stop Obama "from implementing his unconstitutional and unlawful policy."


In a Twitter post, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called the decision "a classic Barack Obama move of choosing politics over leadership," while House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, called the change a "decision to grant amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants."


"Many illegal immigrants will falsely claim they came here as children and the federal government has no way to check whether their claims are true," Smith said in a statement. "And once these illegal immigrants are granted deferred action, they can then apply for a work permit, which the administration routinely grants 90% of the time."


Others complained the move will flood an already poor job market for young Americans with illegal immigrants.


Is this move by President Obama politicking? Of course it is, the support of many hispanics could boost his upcoming reelection as president of USA (November, 2012).


Illegal is illegal. There is no other way of explaining this word. But most politicians used hispanic votes for their own agenda and this will not stop as long people in the USA will never stop this non sense.


Helping those kids to have a legal path to be a permanent resident is acceptable, but to use their situations for the coming election is totally wrong.


I condemn every politicians who will use every way just to get votes for the coming elections especially if its illegal..