TITLE
Recommendation to respectfully request City Attorney to draft a resolution in support of the Federal DREAM Act on behalf of the City of Long Beach.
DISCUSSION
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was first introduced in Congress in 2001. The purpose of the DREAM Act is to create a path to conditional legalization for undocumented students based on their commitment to gain an advanced education or serve in the US military.
The DREAM Act, which is likely to soon come up for a vote in the United States Senate and has become a bi-partisan effort, would provide opportunity and benefit thousands of students in the Greater Long Beach area. It would increase the educational opportunities of our youth and reward those who join the service and protect our nation. Many high achieving students find themselves "locked out" of seizing opportunities because they "do not have a number." It is time that our nation confront this issue so as to benefit communities like ours.
As a community, we have already invested in the education of these students and we should allow them to reach their full potential and contribute to our society.
Eligibility and requirements under the DREAM Act include the following:
? Students have entered the United States before their 16th birthday and have been living in the US continuously for at least five years
? They are a person of good moral character
? They are not deportable under the grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act
? They have been admitted to an institution of higher education or have earned a high school or equivalent diploma
? They have never been under a final order of removal
? They are under the age of 35 on the date of the bill's enactment
No free ride, the Dream Act requires a commitment. If deemed eligible, an undocumented student would obtain temporary residency for a six-year period. During that period, he or she must acquire a degree from a two or four-year university, complete at...
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