​May 21, 2018
AACAP Calls for Swift Congressional Passage of the "Dream Act"


With so many lives hanging in the balance, AACAP again today calls for swift Congressional passage of the "Dream Act," H.R. 3440, S.1615. This bipartisan legislation would protect undocumented young people brought to the United States as children who were previously eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. For a person to qualify for the "Dream Act," he or she would have to meet the following criteria:

  1. Be undocumented, a DACA recipient, or a TPS beneficiary (eligible individuals with final removal orders, voluntary departure orders, or who are in removal proceedings)
  2. Have entered the U.S. before the age of 18;
  3. Have been continuously physically present in the U.S. since at least four years before the date of the Dream Act's enactment;
  4. Have maintained a continuous presence in the U.S., until the date of application;
  5. Meet the education requirement through one of these ways:
    6. - Be admitted to a college, university, or other institution of higher learning, or
    - Have earned a high school diploma or general education development (GED) certificate, or
    - Be currently enrolled in a secondary education program to assist in obtaining a high school diploma or GED certificate;
  6. Have not been convicted of certain criminal offenses;
  7. Pass a medical exam; and
  8. Pass a background check.
Consistent with its past expressions of support, AACAP calls upon Congressional leaders to bring this legislation forward and pass the "Dream Act," H.R. 3440 and S.1615, as soon as possible.