NewsHour Connect: Democrats Tighten DREAM Act, Hoping to Appeal to GOP

IMMIGRATION NEWSHOUR CONNECT -- December 2, 2010 at 3:00 PM EDT

NewsHour Connect: Democrats Tighten DREAM Act, Hoping to Appeal to GOP

Pioneered by Senators Orin Hatch, R-Utah, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the DREAM Act seeks to provide a path to citizenship for people brought to the United States illegally as children. On Tuesday, Senate Democrats issued their fifth version of the legislation, in hopes of appealing to Republicans.

The newest DREAM Act contains tighter provisions than previous versions, including reducing the age of eligibility by five years, increasing the prerequisite amount of time spent in the United States, and limiting individuals from sponsoring family members for U.S. citizenship.

Students throughout the country have voiced support for the proposed legislation through activism. Leslie Berestein Rojas has been covering the DREAM Act for Southern California Public Radio's Multi-American Blog. She says as part of the movement, undocumented students are "going public with their status" and by doing so, risking backlash and even deportation.

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