Cummings Proud To Vote To Send DREAM Act To Senate

Press Release

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today was proud to vote to approve H.R. 5281 the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (or DREAM) Act of 2010. The measure passed the House of Representatives and will now move to the Senate for consideration.

"I co-sponsored the DREAM Act because I think it is a critical tool to both stop some of our best students and our most loyal troops from being forced to leave the country," said Cummings. "The DREAM Act would give young people a chance to contribute to America's future through service in the armed forces or by pursuing higher education. This legislation is narrowly tailored to allow only the best and brightest to earn their legal status through a rigorous and lengthy process.

"We have people willing to help build this country, and to serve it in a time of war. We should respect that desire and find a way to help them live the American Dream. It is still not going to be easy to remain in America under the DREAM Act. This is not going to be for people who are lazy and trying to game the system. The immigrant has the entire burden of proof placed on their shoulders. The DREAM Act attempts to prevent the development of a permanent underclass of unauthorized immigrants who came to the US, by their parent's choice. Without this reform, they are incentivized to avoid education and we risk creating a class of undereducated youth."

The DREAM Act would require undocumented students to become conditional permanent residents through a mechanism known as cancellation of removal. Unauthorized aliens must demonstrate:

* That they have continuously been in the US for 5 years

* That they were less than 16 years old upon arrival

* That they either earned a high school diploma in the US or were admitted to a institution of higher learning.

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