They’re often infants or toddlers when they come to the United States, sneaked into the country by their illegal immigrant parents.
They grow up in America. They eat french fries, hang out at the mall, speak Americanized English. They feel like U.S. citizens.
But they’re not.
And that’s a roadblock if these teens and young adults – who are considered illegal immigrants just like their parents – want to pursue a college education or military service.
Proposed federal legislation – the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act – would provide legal status to those who came to the United States as children and who meet certain criteria. The legislation, known as the Dream Act, has been introduced several times in Congress since 2001.