The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, the DREAM Act, was introduced in the year 2001 and this Act has not been passed by the US Congress. If this Act is passed, several eligible undocumented immigrants who had come to the United States as children would be granted permanent resident status in the country. However, all the undocumented immigrants may not become eligible for Green Cards through the DREAM Act and only the individuals who meet certain key criteria may become eligible for permanent residency in the United States.
In order to qualify for Green Cards through the DREAM Act, an undocumented immigrant in the United States must not have a criminal history and must have resided in America for five years. Moreover the individual must satisfy the requirements related to education. Qualified individuals would be granted conditional permanent resident status in the country for a six-year period. Moving forward, they might become eligible for permanent resident status after the six-year period, after they complete their university degrees or if they had worked for the US Armed forces.
A report from the The Center for American Progress states that if the DREAM Act is passed, it would add a lot to the economy of the United States. And it is also likely to create around 1.4 million new jobs in America.
Many undocumented immigrants in the United States, do not have the legal right to reside in the country and they are likely to be deported if they are encountered by the US immigration authorities. And so they lead a life in shadows, unable to attend school and unable to work lawfully. As a result of that, many undocumented immigrants are found to be poor and most of them work illegally for low wages.
The report, “The Economic Benefits of Passing the DREAM Act”, from The Center for American Progress, states that the DREAM Act would benefit more that 2.1 million undocumented immigrants in the country. The report also states that the earnings of such undocumented immigrants would increase if they are granted legal status and if they are allowed to work and study legally.
According to the research, if the DREAM Act is passed and if the eligible DREAMers are allowed to work legally, by the end of the year 2030, their income will increase by 19 percent. And in turn they would contribute to the US economy by paying taxes to the federal government.
Angela Kelley said that the undocumented are capable of creating new jobs. She said that Sergey Brin, the founder of Google, was also an immigrant who created many jobs for the citizens of the United States. The research clearly states that the DREAM Act would boost the US economy and will result in economic stability.