Dream Act

Also DREAM Act

[dreem akt]

noun

Law.

1. Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act: proposed legislation intended to provide a path to lawful permanent residency for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as minors, contingent upon their submission to background and medical checks and their fulfillment of educational requirements.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dream Act¹

First recorded in 2000–05; backronym for D(evelopment,) R(elief, and) E(ducation for) A(lien) M(inors) Act

Example Sentences

Once the DOJ filed its lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined the federal government in gutting his own state’s Dream Act, established more than two decades ago to allow students without legal status to pay in-state college tuition rates.

From Slate

On July 7, their case gained significant momentum when the Justice Department joined conservative lawyers for evangelical churches in filing a motion similar to the one used to end the Texas Dream Act.

From Salon

The first clear sign that the administration was working with the state’s Republican leadership to bypass lawmakers was its successful June 4 effort to nullify the Texas Dream Act.

From Salon

Numbers are also complicated by changes in the California Dream Act Application, which was established for students lacking documentation to apply for state aid but has expanded to allow students who are citizens and have an undocumented parent.

From Los Angeles Times

She also noted that the California Dream Act Application is available to students from mixed-status families who need aid from the state, such as Cal Grants, to attend the University of California, Cal State and in-state community colleges.

From Los Angeles Times