On September 21, 2010 the U.S. Senate rejected, along party lines, legislation that would have created a pathway to legal immigration status for possibly hundreds of thousands of undocumented children in America.  The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would have allowed an undocumented child to become a legal resident of the U.S. if the child, among other specified condition, (1) entered the country under the age of 16, (2) resided in the U.S. for at least five consecutive years prior to the effective date of the Act, (3) obtains a high school diploma or equivalent, and (4) spends at least two years in a U.S. college or the military.  An applicant for conditional legal immigrant status under the DREAM Act must also be of good moral character.  As reported in Education Week online on September 21 and 22, opponents of the Act expressed concern about the high cost they believe would be associated with the legalization of a potentially very large number undocumented aliens, while supporters touted the benefits they believe would stem from the increased future productivity of students already receiving an education in America but who are currently unable to pursue many careers due to their immigration status.  The congressional and public debate over the DREAM Act is expected to continue.

About Patsy Crawford

Patsy Crawford, Director of Legal Services, PCG Education, has over 30 years of legal experience and is responsible for providing legal and regulatory compliance support to the PCG Education management team. Since joining the firm in 1997, Patsy has worked closely with school district administrators and PCG Education managers and consultants to coordinate with state and federal Medicaid agencies to protect and improve billing programs for school districts. She has provided direct legal support to PCG Education projects in multiple states across the country.

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