The Possibility of Living the DREAM: A Study on Legislation Regarding Immigration Policy for Undocumented Minors

Abstract

This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of international immigration laws in order to suggest
possible revisions to the current Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act that
could allow it to receive stronger bipartisan support. The passing of this law is extremely relevant to
modern day politics due to the sheer number of people it affects as well as the mental and societal issues
it could resolve. Using a case study analysis method, the study examines countries that receive a large
number of immigrants, both legal and illegal, and the way in which they deal or dealt with the high influx
of new people entering the workforce and education system. Through an analysis of Italian and Greek
immigration laws using the Eurolex European Law database, the researcher investigated actual events and
policies that have been successful in their respective countries. In addition, the study uses previous United
Nations (UN) suggestions and policies to analyze the general international consensus regarding child
rights, education rights, and immigration rights. By combining all these factors and synthesizing the
viewpoints of two different countries as well as UN agreements, the study creates and provides reasoning
for possible DREAM Act revisions in the future.