House Passes Immigration Bill With Path to Citizenship for 'Dreamers'

WASHINGTON (CBS News) -- The House on Thursday passed the first of two proposals that would legalize subsets of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission, as Democrats gauge the chances of approving immigration legislation and sending it to President Biden's desk.

Joined by nine Republicans, all House Democrats voted to approve the American Dream and Promise Act, which passed by a vote of 228 to 197. The proposal would allow more than 2.3 million "Dreamers," or unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors, as well as beneficiaries of certain temporary humanitarian programs, to gain permanent legal status and eventually, U.S. citizenship.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during a press conference on Immigration on Capitol Hill on March 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura via Getty Images)

"It's always been a pleasure for me to sing the praises of our Dreamers. They make us so proud," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said at an event with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus at the Capitol ahead of the votes. "For us, this is a day of not only passing legislation but a cause for celebration."

CONTINUE AT CBS NEWS: House Passes Immigration Bill Including Path to Citizenship for 'Dreamers'

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