The House Judiciary Committee May 22 held a mark-up on the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2019 (H.R. 2820). The legislation passed the committee by a party line vote of 19-10.
During her opening statement, Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) noted how Deferred Action on Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients are “medical students and Rhodes Scholars who provide benefits to all Americans and have so much to offer our country,” and how the DREAM Act would “prevent DACA recipients from hiding in the shadows and provide them with the certainty they need to benefit our country.”
Originally introduced as the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6), the legislation was split into the DREAM Act (H.R. 2820) to address DACA recipients and the American Promise Act (H.R. 2821), which addresses temporary protected status recipients [see Washington Highlights, March 22]. The new DREAM Act would provide DACA recipients with permanent resident status and a pathway to citizenship. While the bill also omits any specific mention of Title IV student financial aid programs, permanent resident status confers eligibility for all federal student aid.