Washington ( CNN ) -- The future of the DREAM Act has become something of a nightmare for Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill . Congressional leaders and the Obama administration are fighting it out , and each is making the case for why the legislation should be passed or rejected during the lame-duck session of Congress . The Development , Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would grant eligibility for citizenship for thousands of young illegal immigrants if they go to college or serve in the military . Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday , `` I urge the Congress to pass the DREAM Act and set aside old labels . '' Speaking to reporters via a White House conference call , Napolitano said , `` There are compelling reasons to support it . ... It will strengthen the military and strengthen the economy . '' Napolitano urged Congress to act `` and come together on a bipartisan basis and in the grand tradition of this country . '' She said the DREAM Act would help people who were `` brought here by others ... not of their own volition ... but were brought here by parents or smuggled into the country by human traffickers . '' The ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee , Rep. Lamar Smith , R-Texas , said there have been no hearings on the bill and lawmakers have not seen the text of the legislation . Even so , he said , House Democrats are considering bringing up the act on Friday . In a written statement , Smith said the bill could grant amnesty to more than 2 million illegal immigrants . `` Mass amnesty is not the only problem with the DREAM Act , '' he said . `` The bill allows illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition at public universities , placing them ahead of U.S. citizens . The bill also is a magnet for fraud . '' Sen. David Vitter , R-Louisiana , contended that `` while the bill continues to be disguised as an educational initiative , it is simply another measure that offers a path to citizenship for illegals in this country . '' In a letter to the Congressional Budget Office , Vitter said , `` It is imperative that members of Congress and the American people know the estimated cost of the DREAM Act before a single vote is cast on this legislation . '' Napolitano told reporters an earlier version of the bill scored by the CBO estimated the cost as `` basically neutral . The cost argument does n't hold water . ''
The act would make immigrants eligible for benefits if they go to college or join the military . Texas Republican says the bill could grant amnesty to two million . ` ` The bill is also a magnet for fraud , '' he says .