Senator Feinstein Co-Sponsors "The Dream Act"

- Legislation would remove barriers to education for many young immigrants -
September 5, 2003

Washington DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has signed on as a co-sponsor of "The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act," which would provide qualified undocumented high school students who wish to attend college or serve in the armed forces an opportunity to adjust to a lawful status and pursue these goals.

The legislation, known as "The DREAM Act" is sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL).

"The DREAM Act offers bright and highly motivated students a real incentive to become responsible and valued members of our society," Senator Feinstein said. "Every year, 50,000 undocumented children graduate from our nation's high schools or receive the equivalent of a secondary degree. From there, they can take one of two paths: they can look at the hopelessness of their situation and get involved in crime, even join street gains; or they can continue their education, find a good job, and give back something to the United States."

Specifically, The DREAM Act would:

• Provide undocumented students the opportunity to gain conditional permanent resident status provided they:

(a) have lived in the United States for at least 5 years and were under the age of 16 at the time of entry;

(b) have graduated from high school or have been accepted to a college or institution of higher education;

(c) are of good moral character;

(d) are not deportable on account of a criminal conviction, alien smuggling or document fraud.

• Permit undocumented students to convert their conditional status to that of a lawful permanent resident provided that they do one of the following:

(a) obtain a diploma from a junior college or trade school;

(b) complete at least two years of a bachelor's or graduate program;

(c) join the Armed Forces and if discharged, be honorably discharged; or

(d) perform part or full time volunteer community service under the direction of the USA Freedom Corps or with an entity eligible to receive funds from the Combined Federal Campaign.

For those who cannot fulfill these requirements, they would need to demonstrate both a compelling reason why they cannot meet the requirements, and exceptional and extremely unusual hardship if they were removed from the United States.

To become a lawful permanent resident, the applicants must remain persons of good moral character, not be a public charge during the period of conditional residence, or violate any of the criteria initially required to obtain conditional resident status.

In California, many of the students who would benefit from the legislation are children of parents who have already been granted amnesty and are waiting for their adjustment of status applications to be adjudicated. Others are children of migrant farm workers. The majority of the students consider California their home and are expected to become citizens.

"The DREAM Act would benefit young people who have earned the privilege to remain in the United States," Senator Feinstein said. "It does not offer amnesty, nor is it an entitlement. Clearly, we want to provide talented students who have clearly embraced the American dream an incentive to take the path towards being a responsible, contributing, law abiding member in our civic society."

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