are anxious to hear that too! Status? It has been hanging in the congressional floor since 2001 without any guarantee it will even be calendared for discussion on the floor this year. Even the corrective measures Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (sometimes called Deferred Action for Parental Accountability or DAPA) programs, which were issued by former President Barrack Obama as spin-offs of the DREAM Act, are being impacted by the present administration.

      DACA may still be an option for young immigrants brought in by their illegal parents to the US but for DAPA, it took a hit when the supreme Court on a 4-4 tie, upheld a Texas case that had stopped Obama’s executive order that put off deportations of the undocumented parents of children who are either American citizens or legal residents. DAPA is a planned American immigration policy to grant deferred action status to certain illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States since 2010 and have children who are either American citizens or lawful permanent residents. Deferred action is not full legal status but would come in a three-year, renewable work permit and exemption from deportation.

    The program was announced in November 2014 by President Barack Obama, along with a number of immigration reform steps including increased resources for border enforcement, new procedures for high-skilled immigrants, and an expansion of the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Under President Trump, there are other groups facing uncertainty other than the Dreamers… the 750,000 immigrants granted work permits and temporary residency since 2012 under Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

     While Trump campaigned on ending DACA, he seemed to have softened his stand slightly after winning the election: “We’re going to work something out that’s going to make people happy and proud,” he told Time Magazine in December.  “They got brought here at a very young age, they’ve worked here, and they’ve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen,” he explained.  White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer one time said the president’s first immigration priority is to deal with those who are in the country illegally and have a criminal record. With this, the Dreamers… are not included! But, he added, “Then we're going to continue to work through the entire number of folks that are here illegally.” This might be the problem that might hit many of the Dreamers and the DACA applicants.

     As a temporary relief, there’s a bipartisan effort in both houses to address the uncertainty with legislation—the Ban Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow Our Economy, or BRIDGE Act—that would protect DACA beneficiaries until more comprehensive immigration reform is arrived at. There’s a strong business case for keeping Dreamers in the U.S. as the BRIDGE bill’s name suggests, according to recent studies. The non-partisan Migration Policy Institute has found that work authorization provided by deferred action boosts a workers’ household income, on average, by 10%. Also, according to the Center for American Progress, such measures “also boost the fortunes of those around them since immigrants' gains in wages and productivity greatly benefit the broader economy”. Based on University of California-San Diego study, “… estimates ending DACA would cost the country $433 billion in growth over 10 years, including an annual $11 billion hit to California alone...”The Immigration Legal Resource Center, meanwhile, estimated in December that ending DACA—and theoretically removing hundreds of thousands of Dreamers from jobs—would cost American employers at least $3.4 billion in terms of turnover and hiring expenses and reduce social security and Medicare tax contributions by $24.6 billion. The DREAM Act, by the way, is an American legislative proposal for a multi-phase process for illegal immigrants in the United States that would first grant conditional residency and, upon meeting these conditions will qualify them… for permanent residency. The beneficiaries to this act are being referred to as the DREAMERS… young children who came to the US with illegal parents.

     The bill was first introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2001 by Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch and has since been reintroduced several times with various versions but has failed to pass up to now. The DREAMers are somewhat worried that it might be put to oblivion again and will never see a light of day. For the DREAMers to qualify, the act provides for a conditional resident status, and they must have proof that they entered the United States before the age of 16 and must have continuously lived in the country for at least 5 years. They must have graduated from a United States high school or obtained a GED. Also, said persons must have demonstrated good moral character and must pass criminal background checks and reviews. After having obtained and held conditional resident status, the government under the Act may grant permanent residency if the following requirements have been met in a period of six years.

     The next set of requirements  for permanent residency are: that they have attended an institution of higher learning or served in the United States military for at least two years and if discharged, have received an honorable discharge; pass another series of background checks; and continue to demonstrate good moral character. — (For feedbacks, comments, etc. please email the author at estioko.elpidio@gmail.com).