Policy Analysis of the DREAM Act

• The proposed DREAM Act would change the status of children of illegal aliens."No Child Left Illegal" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: alex-s (Alex Steffler) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

The DREAM Act and Conditional Permanent Residency

• According to the March 31, 2009, National Immigration Law Center publication, "DREAM Act: Summary," the DREAM Act would create a path to permanent residency for children of immigrants, provided that they meet stringent guidelines. Children who graduate from high school, achieve a GED or are admitted to college would receive "conditional permanent resident" status. Such status would be contingent on the students not committing crimes or being security risks.
  
  

The DREAM Act and Permanent Residency

• Conditional permanent resident status under the DREAM Act would last six years. At the end of conditional residency, students can move to permanent resident status. To gain permanent status, they must continue to demonstrate good moral character and avoid lengthy trips abroad. They must also either serve a two-year stint in the U.S. military or graduate from a two-year college, a vocational college, or complete two years of work toward a bachelor of arts degree.
  
  

Policy Implications of the DREAM Act

• In a companion document, "Why Enactment of the DREAM Act Would Aid the Ailing Economy and Generate Tax Revenues," the National Immigration Law Center discusses policy implications of the passage of the DREAM Act, legislation that it estimates would affect 65,000 students each year. The NILC concludes that the DREAM Act would positively affect the global economy, tax revenue and Social Security revenue.
  
  

The DREAM Act's Affect on the Global Economy

• The NILC maintains that the global economy depends on the "creation, acquisition, distribution and use of knowledge." The DREAM Act would enhance the global marketplace by causing thousands more educated individuals to enter the work force each year, all with highly valued multicultural backgrounds.
  
  

The DREAM Act's Affect on Tax Revenues

• Local, state and national governments would all benefit from the increased tax base that would result from passage of the DREAM Act. The increased earnings of students who meet the requirements of the Dream Act means that these individuals will pay higher taxes. The NILC estimates that such tax revenue increases, when combined with reduced governmental expenditures, could result in an annual $9,000 fiscal benefit per person.
  
  

The DREAM Act's Affect on Social Security Revenues

• U.S. Social Security policies would receive an equally positive boost from the Dream Act's legalization of immigrant students. The NILC cites the National Foundation for American Policy's estimate of a net benefit of $407 billion for the Social Security system if the current legislation is enacted.
  
  

The DREAM Act and ROI

• The NILC study concludes by pointing to yet another economic concept as evidence of the need to pass the DREAM Act: return on investment. Taxpayers have long been financing the education of immigrant children in U.S. schools. The positive effect of this proposed legislation means that taxpayers would at last see a significant return on that investment.