Lucille Roybal-Allard: “DREAM Act youth are not criminals and bear no responsibility for the actions of adults who brought them here illegally…”

“DREAM Act youth are not criminals and bear no responsibility for the actions of adults who brought them here illegally as children. Raised in the United States, they have the same American values and love of our country as children born here. Sadly, because of the actions of others, they live in fear of deportation from the only home they know. The DREAM Act, which is not amnesty, will help correct this unfairness. With stringent criteria to qualify for legal status and a 10-year requirement toward earned citizenship, the bill would remove impediments so our country can benefit from their talents and enhanced contributions to our country. In fact, a recent UCLA study found DREAM-eligible students have the potential to earn $1.4 trillion in additional income that could help fuel our country's economic growth over the next four decades. Mr. Speaker, we are a country that values children, not one that punishes them for the wrongdoing of their elders. Yet that is exactly what is happening to these children today. I urge my colleagues to support the DREAM Act.”