The bill, dubbed the American Dream and Promise Act, would provide a ‘pathway to citizenship’  for the millions of undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, as well as others, granted temporary protection from deportation. The measure passed 228 to 197, with nine Republicans voting in favor of the measure.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., one of the sponsors of the bill, said in a statement ahead of the vote, “For far too long, Dreamers and others have waited in limbo and lived with the fear of being deported from the only country they know as home.”

“Dreamers were brought to this country as children,” she continued. “Many are unaware that they are undocumented until they apply for college, and many more have felt the need to keep their status a secret out of fear of deportation.