@JLeslie Are you saying the person must go to college, or have a college degree to become legal in America if they grew up here illegally?
For purposes of the DREAM act, yes, of course they can always apply through the standard channels and should be afforded temporary status until the paperwork (for citizenship or green card) is processed. If those channels are not properly defined or ill suited to the task of managing such cases, they need to made right.
You say they have to maintain a valid residency, the whole point is they are illegal.
Yes, they are illegal but the goal is to allow them to become legal. I’m suggesting the DREAM act be used to get them conditional papers to be made final upon graduation. (I think we’re on the same page there, I just spelled it out better in my head than in-post.) I’m also saying they need to maintain that “conditional validity” once processed – i.e. no criminal actions.
And, are you saying they cannot live here as green cards, they must go for full citizenship or be deported?
Yeah, I should’ve said that better. …if they fail or choose not to accept citizenship they will be deported to the country of their or their parents origin unless they obtain a work visa with in a set time. I should’ve said “work visa or green card (legal status)”. My point here is if you set up a program to aid these kids by providing them temporary status in order for them to attain a degree and/or citizenship. If they don’t, they shouldn’t be kicked out, the act should continue to provide temporary status but at that point if they are over 18 they do have to make a decision to either become citizens or get authorized status (through the standard process while having their temporary status extended to cover the interim) if they don’t they are then illegal by choice.