Immigration (DACA & Dreamers)

The America’s CHILDREN Act of 2025 would create a pathway to permanent residency for young adults who entered the U.S. as children and were dependents of nonimmigrant workers (with specific work visas, excluding certain categories) for at least 8 years. To qualify, applicants must have graduated from a U.S. college or university, been lawfully present in the U.S. for 10 years total, and meet other eligibility criteria like not being inadmissible. The bill includes key protections: it prevents "aging out" by using the date a parent’s visa petition was filed to determine child status (instead of current age), allows reconsideration of past denials under the new rules, and retains priority dates for family-based immigration applications. This directly affects young adults who grew up under these visa statuses and completed higher education in the U.S.

This joint resolution (SJRES 99) seeks congressional disapproval of a specific U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rule that removed automatic extensions for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). The rule, published in the Federal Register on October 30, 2025, ended the prior practice of automatically extending work permits for certain immigrants while their renewal applications were pending. If approved, this resolution would block the rule from taking effect, restoring the automatic extension process for EAD holders. The policy change directly affects non-citizens in the U.S. who hold EADs and are waiting for renewal processing, preventing potential gaps in work authorization.

# Summary of "Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream Act" This comprehensive immigration bill proposes multiple pathways to legal status and permanent residency for undocumented immigrants while creating new employment and workforce development programs. ## Key Provisions: 1. **Dignity Program (Subtitle III)**: - Creates a 7-year program for eligible undocumented immigrants requiring $7,000 in restitution payments to an H-1B fund - Provides deferred action on removal, work authorization, and travel privileges - Requires participants to maintain employment/education, pay taxes, and comply with all laws - Upon completion, participants receive "Dignity Status" valid for 7 years with renewal options 2. **Workforce Development (Division C)**: - Directs restitution payments to fund apprenticeships and work-based learning programs - Establishes industry partnerships to support small- and medium-sized businesses - Focuses on "in-demand industry sectors" with targeted training programs - Requires 12 months of post-employment support services for participants 3. **Family Reunification (Section 3111-3115)**: - Expands discretionary authority for family-based relief - Creates new "family purpose" nonimmigrant visa category (90-day limit) - Modernizes military naturalization for service members - Includes protections for children affected by visa backlogs 4. **Backlog Reduction (Section 3201-3203)**: - Creates premium processing for long-pending cases ($20,000 fee) - Increases per-country caps from 7% to 15% - Protects children from "aging out" of family-based visas 5. **Student and Worker Visas (Section 3301-3305)**: - Modernizes student visa categories with "dual intent" provisions - Recognizes doctoral STEM graduates as "extraordinary ability" - Streamlines visa processing through a new Immigration Agency Coordinator The bill aims to balance immigration reform with workforce development, creating a pathway to legal status while directing funds toward American workers through apprenticeships and training programs in high-demand fields.

The Dream Act of 2025 creates a pathway to conditional permanent resident status for individuals who entered the United States as children. To qualify, applicants must have been under 18 when entering the U.S., maintained continuous physical presence for at least 4 years prior to enactment, and meet educational, military service, or employment requirements. After obtaining conditional status (valid for 8 years), applicants must fulfill additional criteria - including earning a degree, serving in the Armed Forces, or working for 3 years - to remove the conditional status and obtain full permanent resident status. The bill includes specific documentation requirements, background checks, medical examinations, and strong confidentiality protections prohibiting use of application information for immigration enforcement purposes.

This bill removes fees for unaccompanied children in multiple immigration processes. It directly affects minors defined as "unaccompanied alien children" under the Homeland Security Act (those without parents or guardians in the U.S.), by exempting them from fees for asylum applications, employment authorization, immigration court filings, and other related services. Key provisions include repealing the special immigrant juvenile fee and adding explicit exemptions to 10 different fee sections in immigration law. The bill also requires the government to refund fees paid under repealed or amended provisions within 180 days. It further limits information sharing between health and immigration agencies to protect these children’s privacy.

This bill removes immigration status barriers to health care for lawfully present immigrants and those with Federally authorized presence (like deferred action). It requires states to cover all lawfully present individuals in Medicaid and CHIP, expands ACA exchange eligibility for undocumented people with authorized presence, and allows states to opt into covering undocumented children in CHIP. Key provisions amend the Social Security Act to eliminate citizenship requirements for Medicaid/CHIP and treat Federally authorized presence as equivalent to lawfully present for ACA subsidies. The bill does not automatically cover all undocumented people but creates a state option to extend coverage to undocumented individuals meeting income criteria.

HR 4104 would expand access to Medicaid, CHIP, and Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage for immigrants lawfully present in the U.S., including those with deferred action or pending immigration applications. It removes state-level barriers to Medicaid/CHIP eligibility for lawfully present individuals, treats Federally authorized presence as "lawfully present" for ACA subsidies, and allows states to choose to cover undocumented individuals through Medicaid or CHIP. The bill also extends these changes to Medicare Part A and Part B, ensuring lawfully present immigrants qualify for coverage and subsidies under existing programs. These provisions apply to all federally funded health programs and take effect in 2026 for most ACA-related changes.