HR-1589 — American Dream and Promise Act of 2025

YourVoice.Now Summary

Your MoneyWorkers & JobsCivil LibertiesCriminal Justice & Due ProcessTransparency & AccountabilityTargeted & Unrelated Provisions

People brought here as children and TPS holders could get green cards, with no cap and work permits while they wait.

Your Money

In-state tuition option restored — states could charge resident rates again

A 1996 law blocks states from giving in-state tuition to students without legal status. Section 105 would repeal it. Each state could then set its own rule.

Fees waived for low earners — income under 150% of poverty line

Some applicants would pay no fee at all. That covers low earners, people 18 or under, foster youth, and those with a serious disability.

Fees to apply — up to $495, or $1,140 for TPS holders

The bill caps what the government may charge to handle an application. A $25 charge is added to pay for court lawyers.

Workers & Jobs

Work permits while applying — granted on request during review

Anyone with a pending case could ask for a work permit. The government would have to grant it.

Civil Liberties

Deportation paused during review — until a final decision is made

People who seem to qualify could not be deported while their case is open. The one exception is a court appeal on crime or national security grounds.

Court review of denials — 60 days to file, judge decides fresh

A denied applicant gets 60 days to go to federal court. The judge weighs the proof over again, and can take new evidence.

Free lawyer for court appeals — funded by a $25 fee

People who go to court over a safety denial get a lawyer if they ask. A new Treasury fund, fed by the $25 charge, pays for it.

Application data kept from ICE — misuse fined up to $10,000

What people write on the form could not be used to deport them. It could still be shared to check fraud, for national security, or for a serious crime.

Fingerprints required from every applicant — checked against law enforcement records

No one gets approved without giving fingerprints and personal details. Those go to a background check. People blocked by a physical impairment would get another way.

Criminal Justice & Due Process

Felony convictions block green cards — three misdemeanors also disqualify

Any felony rules a person out. So do three or more separate misdemeanors. One or two can be set aside after 5 or 10 clean years.

New power to deny applications — gang activity or public safety

The government could deny someone who joined gang crimes in the past 5 years. A name in a gang database is not proof by itself.

Convictions that block a green card — cannabis and minor traffic excluded

Simple cannabis charges and minor traffic tickets would not count. Nor would nonviolent protest offenses. Nor would crimes that apply only to people without status.

Cleared criminal records ignored — convictions wiped by a court don't count

A conviction a court has wiped or set aside would not block a case. The same is true if the case ended in a rehab program.

Transparency & Accountability

Yearly report on denials — sent to Congress starting year one

Each year, the government would tell Congress how many people it turned down on safety grounds. The count would show who won in court.

Rules take effect without public comment — within 90 days of passage

New rules would take effect the day they are printed, so people could apply at once. The public could comment later. Final rules are due within 180 days.

Targeted & Unrelated Provisions

Work visa holders' children added — including families on H-1B visas

Sons and daughters of people on E, H-1B, and L work visas could apply too. The bill's title does not name this group.

More about this bill

People brought to the United States as children could apply for a green card. They would need to have entered at age 18 or younger and lived here ever since. They would also need to have been in the country since January 1, 2021. And they would need a high school diploma, a job training credential, or admission to a college. Most would first get a green card that lasts 10 years. To make it permanent, they would need a college degree, two years of military service, or three years of work. There would be no limit on how many people could be approved. People who held Temporary Protected Status in January 2017 could also apply. So could people covered by Deferred Enforced Departure in January 2021. Both groups would have three years to file after the law passes. Applying would cost up to $495 for those who came as children, and up to $1,140 for the others. A $25 charge would be added to pay for lawyers. DACA holders would use a simpler process and pay no fee. Applicants who earn under 150 percent of the poverty line would also pay nothing. So would those aged 18 or under and those in foster care. States could again offer in-state tuition rates to undocumented residents. Anyone with an application pending could get a work permit. Most could not be deported while it is under review. Felony convictions would still block a green card, and so would three or more misdemeanors. Cannabis offenses, minor traffic tickets, and cleared records would not count. Homeland Security could still deny someone over gang activity or public safety. It would have to send written notice and allow 90 days to respond. Applicants could then ask a federal judge to take a fresh look, with a free lawyer. Application details could not be used for deportation, apart from narrow exceptions.

Congressional Summary

American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 This bill provides certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) with a path to receive permanent resident status and contains other immigration-related provisions. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall provide conditional permanent resident status for 10 years to a qualifying individual who entered the United States as a minor and (1) is deportable or inadmissible, (2) has deferred enforced departure (DED) status or temporary protected status (TPS), or (3) is the child of certain classes of nonimmigrants. The bill imposes various qualifying requirements, such as the individual being continuously physically present in the United States since January 1, 2021, passing a background check, and being enrolled in or having completed certain educational programs. DHS shall remove the conditions placed on permanent resident status granted under this bill if the individual applies and meets certain requirements, such as completing certain programs at an educational institution, serving in the military, or being employed. Furthermore, DHS or DOJ shall provide lawful permanent resident status to certain individuals who had TPS, were eligible for TPS, or were eligible for DED status on certain dates. Such individuals must meet certain requirements and apply for such status within three years of this bill's enactment. This bill also repeals a restriction that bars a state from providing higher education benefits to undocumented individuals unless those benefits are available to all U.S. nationals without regard to residency in the state.

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: House
Status: summarized
Action: Introduced in House
Action Date: 2025-02-26
Date Added: 2026-08-04
Source: Congress.gov →

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