Congressional Research Service Analyzes Unauthorized Foreign Students and the DREAM Act
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) issued a report on January 30, 2007, that analyzes legislative proposals under the DREAM Act that would enable some unauthorized foreign students to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) through cancellation of removal. Two similar DREAM Act bills were introduced in the 109th Congress: S. 2075 and H.R. 5131. Those bills would have enabled eligible unauthorized students to adjust to LPR status through a two-stage process. The CRS notes that H.R. 5131 was not passed but S. 2075 was incorporated into the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2611), which passed the Senate in May 2006. The CRS said that the 110th Congress may consider DREAM Act legislation either as a free-standing bill or as part of a larger immigration reform measure.
The report, “Unauthorized Alien Students: Issues and ‘Dream Act’ Legislation,” was issued January 30, 2007, and is available here.