Dream Come True or True Nightmare? The Effect of Creating Educational Opportunity for Undocumented Youth

This Comment analyzes the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors ( DREAM ) Act, which is proposed legislation that provides undocumented immigrant youth an opportunity to achieve higher education and legal status. Part I of this Comment describes the legislative history, specific provisions, and need for the DREAM Act. Part II demonstrates how state laws are insufficient to overcome some of the barriers that undocumented youth face in attempting to achieve higher education, and how the DREAM Act will help overcome those barriers. Part III of this Comment recommends that Congress should seriously consider the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the special needs of undocumented children upon assessing the DREAM Act in the 109th Congress. Part IV demonstrates that the DREAM Act does not encourage illegal immigration, it is not too costly to implement, it rewards hard work, and its passage will benefit society as a whole