Dream Act of 2025

Bill Number

S. 3348

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Immigration

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-12-04: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S8509-8512)

Last Updated

2026-01-07T16:41:23Z

AI-Generated Summary

Summary of the Dream Act of 2025 (S. 3348)

Purpose

The Dream Act of 2025 aims to provide a legal pathway to permanent residency for certain undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children and have lived here long-term. It focuses on protecting "Dreamers"—individuals brought to the U.S. illegally or without inspection while young—from deportation and allows them to adjust their immigration status, building on programs like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The goal is to recognize their contributions to American society through education, work, or military service while ensuring national security and public safety.

Key Provisions

• Eligibility for Conditional Permanent Residency (Section 3):
• Applies to individuals continuously present in the U.S. for at least 4 years before the bill's enactment, who entered before age 18.
• Requires no serious criminal history (e.g., no convictions for crimes punishable by over 1 year in prison or three misdemeanors with 90+ days total imprisonment; excludes immigration-related offenses).
• Must meet one of: admission to higher education, high school diploma or equivalent, enrollment in secondary school or GED programs, or honorable service/enlistment in the Armed Forces.
• Tax compliance: No unpaid federal taxes (or must have an agreement to pay them).
• Special rule for DACA recipients: Automatic eligibility unless post-DACA conduct disqualifies them.
• Waivers available for certain inadmissibility grounds (e.g., health issues, fraud, or misrepresentation) for humanitarian, family unity, or public interest reasons.
• Application includes background checks, medical exams, biometric data (fingerprints/photos), and a fee (waivable for low-income, homeless, disabled, or those with high medical debt under 150% of the poverty line).
• Protections: Stays removal for eligible individuals, especially students aged 5+ in elementary/secondary/early childhood programs; grants work authorization during stays.

• Terms of Conditional Status (Section 4):
• Valid for 8 years (extendable); can be terminated only for criminal reasons after notice and a hearing.
• Upon expiration or denial, reverts to prior status (except Temporary Protected Status holders may lose it if ineligible).

• Removing Conditions for Full Permanent Residency (Section 5):
• After 8 years, eligible if still crime-free, U.S. resident, and meets one of: higher education degree (or 2 years toward one), 2 years honorable military service, or 3 years employment (75% of authorized work time; allows time for education).
• Hardship exceptions for disabilities, caregiving for minors, or extreme hardship to U.S. citizen/lawful permanent resident family.
• Requires basic English/civics knowledge (waived for disabilities); no naturalization applications during conditional period.
• Similar fees, checks, and waivers as initial application.

• Documentation and Processes (Sections 6-8):
• Accepts various proofs for identity, presence, entry age, education, employment, military service, and exemptions (e.g., passports, school records, tax forms, affidavits).
• Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) must issue rules within 90 days (interim) and 180 days (final); bypasses some standard review delays.
• Confidentiality: Application info can't be used for immigration enforcement (fines up to $10,000 for violations); limited sharing for security/fraud purposes.
• No numerical caps on approvals; continuous presence not broken by removal notices or short authorized trips (up to 90 days, or 180 aggregate; extensions for hardships).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a new, standalone relief category outside the Immigration and Nationality Act's standard adjustment processes, exempting it from numerical visa limits.
• Expands DACA by converting it to conditional permanent residency without reapplication for most recipients.
• Alters continuous presence rules: Ignores removal proceedings or short absences; treats expunged convictions case-by-case rather than automatically disqualifying.
• Introduces fee waivers and hardship exemptions not commonly available in prior laws, and prohibits removal initiation for eligible students.
• Mandates affirmative applications without needing removal proceedings, streamlining access compared to current defensive filings.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: DHS (including USCIS, ICE, CBP) faces increased administrative burden for processing applications, background checks, and hearings, potentially requiring more resources and staffing. Could reduce deportation caseloads for low-risk individuals.
• Citizens and Residents: Benefits ~800,000+ DACA recipients and similar Dreamers by offering stability, work authorization, and a citizenship path, potentially boosting economic contributions (e.g., taxes, workforce participation). Families may see less separation; schools and employers gain from integrated students/workers.
• International Relations: Minimal direct impact, but reinforces U.S. image as humane on child migrant issues; may encourage similar policies abroad or affect bilateral talks on migration from origin countries.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Primary Beneficiaries: Undocumented individuals who entered the U.S. as children (Dreamers), DACA recipients, and their U.S. citizen/lawful permanent resident family members.
• Government Entities: Department of Homeland Security (processing/oversight), Department of Justice (removal proceedings), Internal Revenue Service (tax verification), and Department of Defense (military service records).
• Other Groups: Educational institutions (enrollment proofs), employers (work authorization), military (recruitment), low-income/homeless/disabled communities (fee exemptions), and immigrant advocacy organizations (application support).

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Broadens discretionary waivers for inadmissibility, potentially challenging strict enforcement under existing immigration statutes; ensures due process via hearings and stays, aligning with administrative law requirements.
• Constitutional: Supports equal protection by providing tailored relief for childhood arrivals without arbitrary discrimination; upholds privacy via confidentiality, echoing Fifth Amendment concerns on information use.
• Political: Bipartisan introduction (Durbin, a Democrat, and Murkowski, a Republican) highlights compromise on a divisive issue; could reduce court backlogs from DACA litigation but may spark debates on amnesty vs. merit-based immigration. No funding specified, relying on fees for implementation.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

Cosponsors (1)

Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]

Recent Actions

• 2025-12-04: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S8509-8512)
• 2025-12-04:
• 2025-12-04: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• Dream Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-04 — PDF (36 pages)