1、 CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Would It Violate Equal Protection to Prohibit Naturalized “Dreamers” from Sponsoring Their Parents for Immigrant Visas? February 12, 2018 Much of the recent immigration reform debate has focused on legis
2、lative options to address the situation of non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who were brought to the country as children and who do not have lawful immigration status. Such aliens are colloquially referred to as “Dreamers” by many observers because they are largely the same population that the various Dev
3、elopment, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) bills introduced over the years have sought to address. Some current legislative proposals would provide Dreamers with an avenue to obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status and, eventually, U.S. citizenship. These proposals, in turn, have
4、 generated policy discussions about whether Dreamers who obtain citizenship through naturalization should be able to help the parents who brought them to the country obtain LPR status by sponsoring them for immigrant visas. Under current law, adult U.S. citizens may sponsor their parents for immigra