HM 253 Summary

• Florida Legislature urges Congress to enact the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to provide a pathway to legal residency and citizenship for undocumented youth.

• DREAM Act would require undocumented youth who arrived as minors to graduate high school, obtain a GED, attend college, or serve in the U.S. Armed Forces to qualify for legal residency and eventually citizenship.

• Approximately 151,000 undocumented youth currently residing in Florida would benefit from the legislation, which the memorial argues would provide access to education and economic opportunities.

• The DREAM Act would repeal penalties on states providing in-state tuition to postsecondary students regardless of immigration status and could generate between $1.4 trillion and $3.6 trillion in national income over 40 years.

• Copies of the memorial are directed to be sent to the President, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and all Florida members of Congress.