As the election year moves forward, immigration reform is becoming more and more a popular topic for many. Over the weekend, President Obama spoke once again about the importance of the DREAM Act at the graduation ceremony of Miami Dade College, which has more Hispanic graduates than any other college in the U.S.
The DREAM Act was first introduced close to a decade ago but has gone through many changes through the years. The legislation is set up to give legal status to the children of illegal immigrants who came into the U.S. at an early age.
The latest version of the legislation qualifies those that arrived in the U.S. prior to their 16th birthday, have lived for five straight years in the U.S. since arriving, have registered for selective service if male, have graduated from high school in the U.S., obtained a GED or are admitted to college, university or technical institution. Those illegal immigrants who qualify would have to successfully finish two years of a university or spend two years in the U.S. military during the first six years to be granted legal status on a conditional basis.
The issue is always a political hotspot. The legislation has long been supported by Democrats and key Republicans but of recent, some Republicans who were in favor of it previously such as Lindsay Graham and John McCain have withdrawn support because no type of enforcement for immigration is included in the legislation as it now stands.
Many Congress members would prefer a comprehensive reform bill for immigration and tend to be leery of efforts that only fix part of the problem and not the whole situation.
