Senators Dick Durbin and Lisa Murkowski have reintroduced the Dream Act in the US Senate. Dreamers, the undocumented immigrants who were brought to the nation as children and have spent the most of their lives here, would be able to petition for protection from deportation and, if they satisfy certain standards, the chance to earn legal status under this bipartisan bill.
The Dream Act of 2025 seeks to grant Dreamers and Documented Dreamers a status as conditional permanent residents for a maximum of eight years. They would be able to travel overseas, work lawfully in the US, and be protected from deportation with this status. The status of conditional permanent resident may be converted to lawful permanent resident status or green card holder status.
Legal status under Dream Act 2025
According to the bill, offspring of non-immigrant E-1, E-2, H-1B, and L visa holders are considered “Documented Dreamers.” In addition, the bill would permit Documented Dreamers—noncitizens who were raised in the US under visa status but “aged out” of their parents’ visa when they reached the age of 21—to secure legal status. The objective of the bill is to offer stability and a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, who have resided, studied, and worked in the US for the majority of their lives.
The bipartisan legislation aims to permit noncitizens lacking lawful status, who were brought to the United States as children and fulfill specific educational, military service, or employment criteria, to obtain lawful permanent residency.
These individuals, referred to as Dreamers, have resided in America since childhood, established their lives here, and embody American values in every respect except for their immigration status. In the United States, ‘Dreamers’ are undocumented immigrants who arrived as children. Nevertheless, under the existing law, they frequently have no opportunity to attain citizenship.
Who gets relief under ‘Dream Act 2025’?
The legislation further provides relief to ‘Documented Dreamers,’ who are individuals that grew up in the US as dependents of long-term visa holders and face the risk of losing their status upon reaching the age of 21 due to extensive green-card backlogs, leaving many without any protection.
The protections outlined in the Dream Act of 2025 could enable nearly 525,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, along with an additional two million eligible Dreamers who were brought to America as children, to remain in the US. Furthermore, the bill could permit 250,000 Documented Dreamers to stay in the US and secure permanent legal status.
DACA program
The DACA program has enabled over 800,000 Dreamers to reside, work, and make contributions to their communities. A DACA recipient is defined as an individual who benefits from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a U.S. immigration policy designed to safeguard undocumented immigrants who entered the nation as minors.
DACA recipients contribute approximately $6.2 billion in federal taxes and $3.3 billion in state and local taxes each year. According to the Center for American Progress, the national GDP could potentially increase by $799 billion over the next ten years if Dreamers were granted a pathway to citizenship.
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