Proposal seeks to grant permanent residency to dreamers

“It is clear that only Congress can give them the stability they deserve,” Senator Durbin, who has been trying to pass legislation for more than 15 years to give them legal status, wrote in a statement.

Restricting the flow of migrants at the southern border

For his part, Senator Graham pointed out that before thinking about giving the green light to this bill it is necessary, from his perspective, to restrict the current migratory flow to the US at the southern border.

“I hope my Democrat colleagues understand that we must repair the border and deal with the tsunami of illegal mi- gration before” giving immigration relief to DACA recipients, Graham said.

Requirements of the proposed law

In addition to educational requirements, the bill also requires “dreamers” who wish to apply for residency to prove proficiency in English, no criminal record, or “pose a threat” to the U.S.

The “dreamers” are in a legal limbo by a lawsuit from nine states with Republican governors that have called for the end of DACA, the program that grants work permits to “dreamers.”

Current President Joe Biden promised during his presidential campaign that he would protect DACA recipients and give them a path to citizenship. However, the lack of consensus and political will in Congress along with lawsuits in the courts have prevented this goal.

The original program was launched in August 2012 during Barack Obama’s term (2009-2017), but in 2017, then-President Donald Trump ordered its cancellation and subsequently numerous disagreements have led to the current situation.