Update on DREAM Act

Majority Leader Reid Reintroduces DREAM Act (S.3992)

On 11/30/10, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed a new version of the DREAM Act (S.3992) with the aim of attracting broader support for DREAM to get the requisite 60 votes to pass the Senate during the current "lame duck" session of Congress.

The earliest Reid could file a cloture motion on the new bill would be this coming Thursday, December 2nd. After waiting out the requisite 30 hours post-cloture, it could "ripen" over the weekend, and effectively come up for a vote on Monday, December 6th at the earliest.

The new version addresses many of the concerns raised by Republicans and tightens the restrictions on eligibility in several respects. Among other changes, the new version does the following:

• Excludes from eligibility those with certain criminal convictions, such as for offenses punishable by a maximum term of more than 1 year (felony) or 3 misdemeanors
  
• Requires all applicants to provide their biometric data to DHS, to submit to background checks and medical examination, and to register for military selective service
  
• Requires applicants to pay all taxes
  
• Sets the cut-off age to those who are less than 30 years-old on the date of enactment
  
• Provides a "safe harbor" from removal only to those applicants who present a prima facie case of eligibility
  
• Extends the good moral character requirement back to the date the alien entered the United States rather than the date of enactment of DREAM
  
• Expands the applicable grounds of inadmissibility to include the health-related, public charge, smuggling, draft dodging, and unlawful voting grounds
  
• Expands the applicable grounds of deportability to include public charge, unlawful voting, and marriage fraud grounds
  
• Excludes those who participated in persecution
  
• Clarifies that no one can apply before 1 year after enactment
  
• Requires applicants to demonstrate eligibility by a preponderance of the evidence
  
• Eliminates repeal of the in-state tuition ban
  
• Defines institution of higher education to include only U.S.-based programs
  
• Requires those who subsequently apply for adjustment to meet the English language and civics requirements typically required for naturalization
  
• Expands the circumstances where disclosure of confidential information about DREAM applicants is required for homeland security or national security purposes
  
• Creates conditional nonimmigrant status for 10 years, followed by 3 years of LPR status prior to application for naturalization
  

Senator Durbin (D-IL) has also recently introduced two paired down versions of the DREAM Act (S.3962) and (S.3963) in the hopes of getting the bill passed during the lame duck session.

BUT, in order for the DREAM Act to pass we must keep the pressure on Members of Congress. It's more important than ever that you take action TODAY by writing and calling your member of Congress and urging them to support this common-sense and urgently needed immigration measure.