New Immigration Reform Bill – STARS Act

Sisters Daniela and Dayana Pelaez joined Congressman David Rivera to announce that the STARS Act will be filed in a few weeks. The STARS Act is nothing but the short form of Studying Towards Adjusted Residency Status (STARS).

This bill is more likely to allow the undocumented immigrants to adjust their residency status. They may be allowed to adjust their status, if they had entered the United States as undocumented immigrants before they were 16 years of age and if they gain a degree from an authorized American institution of higher education, which meets the required criteria.

Daniela had spent two weeks to finalize the language of the STARS Act and she is the one to draft the new bill. Pelaez said that they had been in the United States for a long period of time and they were brought up there and hence deserve to stay in the United States.

Both the sisters who were almost deported, were granted a reprieve for two years, when Pelaez inspired and pushed for the immigration reform and the STARS Act, in the month of March 2012.

This new STARS act aims at clearing the path to US citizenship. According to this STARS Act, the undocumented youth will be able to attend a four-year university, in order to apply for a four-year extension and will finally get their lawful status in the United States. Many advocates had said that this bill is a different and a plain version of the DREAM Act.

The DREAM Act states that the undocumented immigrants who entered the United States before the age of 15 must complete a higher education for two years or they must work for the United States military for two years but it does not require graduation.

Hence, Rivera who is much inspired by Daniela said that she will accompany him at the House of Representatives in Washington, while he submits the STARS Act. Pelaez will be going to Washington with her sister and her lawyer on the 30th of May in order to support the Congressman Rivera and to support the STARS Act. Pelaez will be attending Dartmouth College this autumn and she also has planned to study medicine.