On March 12, 2019, Democrats Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced the Dream and Promise Act in the US House of Representatives. The Act would allow certain undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children, commonly known as “Dreamers,” and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to ultimately apply for permanent legal status.

The act would extend something called “Cancellation of Removal” to those brought to the US as children without documentation, and to those from a country designated for “Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”). This allows, under the terms of the proposed law, for a ten-year Conditional Permanent Residence period (essentially, a ten-year probationary green card) and ultimately removal of condition to obtain an unconditional green card under certain circumstances.

The act would halt removal proceedings against minors. Interestingly, the act as proposed has provisions permitting those already removed from the US to apply.

To become law, the bill would need to be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the same form, and then signed by the president. Should the president veto the bill as passed by both the house and senate, a two-thirds majority of each can overcome the veto resulting in a valid statute even without presidential approval.

The bill is unlikely to pass the senate, and so will not ultimately become law – but is interesting as a statement of the consensus of the Democratic party.