(Image source from: msnbc.com)

Ami Bera, the Indian American Democratic Congressman last week called for the passage of the America's Children Act which is called the Bipartisan Bill. This is to protect the documented dreamers who are dependent on non-immigrant visa holders when they turn 21. Several dreamers shared their stories with the lawmakers. A bunch of 40 youth members from 'Improve the Dream' across the USA came to the United States Capitol. Improve the Dream was founded by Dip Patel that is fighting for the children of legal immigrants who are growing in the USA. Deborah Ross; Senator Alex Padilla, and Senate judiciary committee chair Dick Durbin participated in the meeting.

The lawmakers and the Congressmen revealed that this happens to be a major failure of the immigration system as there is no protection for the documented dreamers. For these documented dreamers, turning 21 sounds like an impossible choice as they have to leave their families and deport to another country or they have to stay in the United States without any documents. Efforts are being made to change the bill told the Congressmen who participated in the debate. Dip Patel, founder of Improve the Dream thanked the Congressmen for their support.

There are more than 2 lakh children and young adults residing in the United States as dependents. All these have grown up in the country and are studying in American schools and universities. The documented dreamers are not eligible for protection under the policy of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). They are not eligible for work authorization. The Bipartisan Bill was introduced in the house last year. If the bill is passed, it would end aging out and provide permanent residency for the documented dreamers.

By Siva Kumar