March 2019
More Than a DREAM (Act), Less Than a Promise
By Julia Gelatt
Justin Valas
The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019—the first bill introduced in the 116th Congress that would offer a path to legal status for DREAMers—is an expansive proposal, going beyond DREAM Act bills that have been pending in Congress in one form or another since 2001. While it has almost no chance of enactment, the legislation is intended to serve a pair of purposes: Set a Democratic marker for future immigration negotiations and represent a commitment that House Democrats will prioritize action on behalf of DREAMers and other unauthorized immigrants with longstanding U.S. ties.
Beyond DREAMers (the term used for unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as children), the bill would offer legal status to two other groups: Noncitizens who have been eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) because of difficult conditions in their countries and a smaller group of Liberians who have benefited from Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). Both TPS and DED offer protection from deportation and work authorization.
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/more-dream-act-less-promise
