Addressing the Immigration Status of Illegal Immigrants Brought to the United States as Children

Testimony of Margie McHugh, Co-Director of MPI's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, U.S. House of Representatives.

"Chairman Gowdy, Ranking Member Lofgren and Members of the Subcommittee:

Good afternoon. I am Margie McHugh, and I am Co-Director of the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy at the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), an independent, non-partisan think tank in Washington that analyzes U.S. and international migration and immigrant integration trends and policies. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the topic of “Addressing the Immigration Status of Illegal Immigrants Brought to the United States as Children.”

For over a decade, a select group of unauthorized immigrants—young adults who were brought to the United States as children and do not have a means to acquire legal status—has acquired a unique place in immigration policy discussions and legislative efforts. As you know, these young people are often referred to as DREAMers, a reference to the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which would provide a path to legalization for those who meet its higher education or military service requirements. This bipartisan legislation was first championed in 2001 by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL), and since then has been introduced regularly both as a stand-alone bill and as part of broader comprehensive immigration reform bills. [...]"