Immigration Attorneys Weigh In On The DREAM Act

Immigration Attorneys hope to help alien minors gain residency

by Douglas Stevens

Millions of dollars in taxpayer money goes toward the education of illegal minors each year. According to an experienced immigration attorney, Darren Silver, without reform the current policies, many of these youth could be at risk of future deportation, and their American education would have been largely wasted. The DREAM Act, a longstanding proposal sponsored in part by Senator Richard Durbin from Illinois, directly addresses this problem and would allow certain undocumented individuals to become legal residents. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would provide a legal pathway to permanent citizenship for those who graduate from U.S. High Schools, the majority of whom were brought here by their parents at a young age and had no say in the matter. The DREAM Act has been on the table for quite some time, but it could be pushed to the forefront come next year.

Staunch conservatives that strongly oppose amnesty in any form will no doubt oppose this legislation, but the goal of this act is not to reward the actions of illegal immigrants, but rather extend grace to their children, encouraging education, hard work and military service.

To be eligible for the DREAM Act, an individual must have first entered the United States before their 16th birthday and must have remained in the U.S. for a period of 5 years without interruption. This person must also demonstrate the ability to speak English. The first step to qualify would be enrolling in some sort of higher education (Universities, vocational schools, and apprenticeship programs are all acceptable) or enlist with the U.S. military. Within 6 years of filing the initial petition the applicant must receive an Associate’s degree or a 2-year equivalent to be considered for permanent residency. Under the DREAM Act it would be possible for 65,000 students to become conditional residents, with the opportunity to eventually become permanent citizens should they comply with current immigration regulations.

Teachers and administrators would agree that spending resources on young immigrants that will be unable to contribute to our society is a disservice to the entire system of public education and the country as a whole. The Obama administration will be forced to grapple with this issue of Immigration in 2010 as the economy and the war in Afghanistan lose steam as front page news, giving a hard working immigration attorney more tools with which to fight for the rights and permanent residency of undocumented young people.

Visit immigration attorney website at http://darrensilver.com