US house passes bill to legalise ‘dreamers’ — good news for undocumented Nigerian immigrants

The US house of representatives has voted to provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of young migrants who are undocumented in the country.

The American Dream and Promise Act 2021 was passed on Thursday along party lines in a 228-197 vote.

The bill is the latest measure taken by the Biden administration to accommodate more immigrants in the country.

CNN, however, reports that it could hit a wall when considered by the senate.

The proposed law seeks to put about 2.5 million people on the pathway to US citizenship.

Those captured are mostly undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children — otherwise known as “DREAMers”

Under it, more than 4.4 million would be eligible for legal permanent residence in the US, according to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI).

It is not immediately clear how many Nigerians that could benefit from it.

The Pew Research Center estimates there are 348,000 Nigerian immigrants living in the US, making Nigeria the top birthplace among African immigrants in the country.

Under the legislation, “DREAMers”, temporary protected status (TPS) holders and immigrant farmworkers who meet specific requirements are immediately eligible for green cards.

“After three years, all green card holders who pass additional background checks and demonstrate knowledge of English and U.S. civics can apply to become citizens,” the White House had said when the move was announced.

In its latest report, the Department of Homeland Security estimated that 12 million undocumented migrants were living in the United States as of 2015.