Public Description:
The bill would amnesty certain illegal aliens under the pretense of providing educational opportunities for children. Specifically, it would repeal Section 505 of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which prevents illegal aliens from being eligible for in-state tuition. In addition, it would authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to cancel removal proceedings for certain illegal aliens and adjust their standing to conditional lawful permanent resident (LPR) status for six years if they lived in the United States for five continuous years before the bill’s enactment, meet the bill’s definition of “good moral character;” are not inadmissible or deportable on certain criminal grounds including risk to national security; and have been admitted to an institution of higher education, have a high school diploma, or have a GED in the United States. Furthermore, when the amnestied aliens complete their six years of conditional permanent resident status, they can petition USCIS to have the conditions removed and become regular lawful permanent residents. The petition may be filed any time within the six months leading up to, or the two years following, the end of the six-year period. There is no numerical limit on how many illegal aliens may be granted amnesty and they cannot be counted against any existing immigration cap. To make matters worse, the legislation prevents an alien who simply files an amnesty application from being removed from the United States before the application is adjudicated completely. Finally, amnestied aliens would be eligible for certain student loans, federal work-study programs, and even federal Pell grants.
To amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to permit States to determine State residency for higher education purposes and to authorize the cancellation of removal and adjustment of status of certain alien students who are long-term United States residents and who entered the United States as children, and for other purposes.
