ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Sen. Al Franken anticipates the federal immigration overhaul will contain the so-called DREAM Act that's geared toward speeding citizenship for young illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Franken isn't intimately involved in immigration deliberations in the Senate, but the Democratic lawmaker said Tuesday he "can't imagine" that negotiators will craft a bill without the accommodation for younger people. He says discussions have come down to far more thorny issues.

The DREAM Act has repeatedly been hung up in Washington, including a stall in the Democratic-led Senate in 2010.

Several states, including Minnesota, have been considering laws to allow illegal immigrant students pay in-state tuition at public universities if they graduated from a high school in that state.

Franken spoke at roundtable with students about college affordability.