DREAM act poised for Senate vote Saturday

The DREAM Act creates a path to US citizenship for young people who were brought into the country illegally while minors. It passed in the House but faces a tougher vote in the Senate.

By Brad Knickerbocker, Staff writer / December 17, 2010

The fight for the DREAM Act is down to the wire with the House-passed bill scheduled for a Senate vote Saturday.

The bill, which creates a path to US citizenship for young people who were brought into the country illegally while minors, has seen various incarnations since it was first introduced ten years ago.

Under the current version, minors in the United States illegally would be allowed to stay in the country temporarily if they are under the age of 30, have lived in the US continuously for at least five years, and were brought to this country before they were 16 years old.

Quiz: Could you pass a US citizenship test?

They also must earn a high school diploma, GED, or college acceptance, and they must undergo various background checks. They would then be able to gain permanent resident status – and apply for citizenship – after 10 years and after completing two years of college or military service.

Advocates and opponents paint a very different picture of the DREAM Act, whose full title is the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.

“The DREAM Act is a piece of legislation that conservatives can love,â€