Are you a dreamer? How about a DREAMer? The difference is more than just the matter of a few capitalized letters. For hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers across the country, it's the difference between a life of prosperity and one of fear.

The DREAM Act was first introduced to Congress in August of 2001, and since that time, DREAM has been synonymous with any attempt to help young immigrants stay and be productive in America. Since that time, the immigration movement has grown, despite seeing little physical change.

Lately, there has been increased pressure placed on the United States government to take the issue of immigration reform seriously. That pressure boiled over last month when immigrant activists took a bold step in bringing attention to their cause.

"On July 22, nine activists attempted to cross the border from Mexico to Arizona, presenting formal requests for humanitarian asylum. The group, known as the DREAM 9, was arrested and held for almost two weeks in the Eloy detention center in Arizona," reports PolicyMic.

Though the DREAM 9 were unsuccessful in their bid to safely reach the United States, they were able to once again generate discussion about the merits of immigration reform. Their activism came at a considerable risk too, as their detention may have precluded them from being able to work in America once such reform is passed.

That reform currently exists as a bill passed in the Senate earlier this summer, spearheaded by a bipartisan group of senators known simply as the "Gang of Eight." That Group, which included the likes of John McCain and Marco Rubio, were able to get the bill approved by a 68-32 margin, leaving it up to the House of Representatives to vote on it.

The bill calls for a standardized process by which immigrants who are under the age of 31 and were brought to the United States as minors could receive legal status to work. They would be allowed to begin the process of citizenship while they work, a process that could take upwards of a decade.

Unfortunately for many DREAMers, getting the other half of Congress to see the logic behind that reform is going to be tough work. The House currently has a healthy Republican majority, many of whom are staunchly opposed to pro-immigration legislation. Among the members of that group, count the powerful House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).

"If you were to do something, I would start first of all with children who were brought here illegally by their parents. They've grown up here. They've been educated here. They are ready to face the world and they have no documents. I think there's a more compelling argument to be made for them. But, even for them, I would say that they get a legal status in the United States and not a pathway to citizenship that is created especially for them," contends Goodlatte.

It appears that Godlatte does not seem to keen on the latest immigration reform legislation, and it's likely that he will be able to rally enough troops to kill it if he's passionate enough to do so. If that were to happen, the DREAM of many immigrants to legally work in the United States may be nothing more than that.