The Economic Benefits of the DREAM Act
Date: October 1, 2012
A joint report, “The Economic Benefits of the DREAM Act,” by New American Economy and the Center for American Progress, shows how passing the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act, will boost the U.S. economy and create jobs for American workers.
Among the report’s findings:
- Passing the DREAM Act would add $329 billion to the U.S. economy.
- The DREAM Act would create 1.4 million new jobs by 2030.
- DREAM Act-eligible youth will earn 19% more if the DREAM Act is passed than they would without the DREAM Act, meaning that the 2.1 million DREAMers will have more earnings to put back into the U.S. economy.
- The DREAM Act would result in an additional $5.6 billion in state and federal household income tax revenue and $4.6 billion in federal business tax revenue.
The DREAM Act, a bill to provide a pathway to legal status for eligible young people who were brought here as children and who complete high school and some college or military service, was first introduced in 2001 by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL). Since then, the DREAM Act has been introduced in some form in each session of Congress. Until now, the national debate over the DREAM Act has focused on legal, ethical, and logistical questions, not on whether the DREAM Act will contribute to U.S. economic growth.
Download and read “The Economic Benefits of the DREAM Act” (PDF)