[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 83 (Thursday, June 9, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3668-S3669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             THE DREAM ACT

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, 2 years ago, I embarked on a legislative 
mission to pass a bill called the DREAM Act. The purpose of the DREAM 
Act was to give to young people who came to this country as children, 
and who were raised in the United States, who have graduated high 
school, who have done a well and made a good life in this country, a 
chance to become legal residents in the United States of America. They 
are long-term U.S. residents. They have good moral character. They have 
graduated high school, and we say: If you will complete at least 2 
years of college and military service in good standing, we will give 
you a chance to become legal.

  There are thousands of young people who fit this description in the 
United States. They were brought here as kids. If their parents came to 
the United States and overstayed a visa or crossed the border when they 
shouldn't have, these children shouldn't be held accountable. They were 
children. We don't hold children accountable for any wrongdoing by 
their parents. They grew up here, they pledge allegiance to the flag in 
their classrooms here, they sing our national anthem, and many of them 
speak no other language other than English.
  The purpose of the DREAM Act is that we should not punish children 
for their parents' actions. That is not the American way. Instead, the 
DREAM Act says to these students: America is going to give you a 
chance, a chance to continue living here and to make this an even 
better nation.
  The DREAM Act is not just the right thing to do, it makes America a 
better country. The young people who would qualify for the DREAM Act 
are class valedictorians, star athletes, honor roll students, and ROTC 
leaders. They are the future doctors, soldiers, computer scientists, 
and engineers who will make this country even better.
  The DREAM Act would strengthen our national security by giving 
thousands of highly qualified, well-educated young people the chance to 
enlist in the Armed Forces. The DREAM Act has the support of not only 
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates but also GEN Colin Powell.
  The DREAM Act will help our economy by giving these talented young 
people the chance to become engineers and entrepreneurs, doctors, 
lawyers, teachers, small business owners, and nurses. That is why the 
DREAM Act has the support of business leaders from across the country, 
such as Rupert Murdoch and the CEOs of companies such as Microsoft and 
Pfizer.
  The talented young people who would be eligible for the DREAM Act 
call themselves Dreamers. When I first embarked on this mission 10 
years ago, they used to kind of hold back in the shadows of a meeting, 
kind of whisper to me as I went by that they would be saved if the 
DREAM Act were passed. Well, now they are stepping forward, and I am 
glad they are, so America can see who they are.
  Every day these Dreamers contact my office to tell me their stories. 
These stories have energized me to keep up the fight. The last time we 
had a vote on this act on the Senate floor was last December. We had a 
majority. But when it comes to controversial issues, it takes 60 votes. 
I want to take this up again and give these young people a chance.
  I want to tell you about two of these DREAM Act-eligible people.
  Herta Llusho was brought to the United States from Albania when she 
was 11. She and her mother settled in Grosse Pointe, MI, a suburb of 
Detroit. Herta came here legally, but shortly after arriving, Herta's 
mother filed an application to stay in the United States.
  Herta quickly learned English and became an academic star. She 
graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School with a 4.05 grade point 
average. In high school, she was a member of the varsity track team, 
won an Advanced Placement Scholar Award, and was a member of the 
National Honor Society.
  Here is a picture of Herta at graduation. Herta is currently a junior 
at the University of Detroit Mercy, where she is an honors student 
studying to be an electrical engineer. She has a grade point average of 
3.98 and has completed two internships at engineering firms.
  She is also very involved in the community, volunteering at homeless 
shelters, tutoring programs, and her church. Listen to what one of her 
friends says about Herta:

       I am humbled by Herta's willingness and desire to serve. I 
     have had the privilege of going to the same church at which 
     she faithfully serves. She spends hours tutoring kids and 
     volunteering with the junior high Sunday school class. It is 
     a joy to watch so many children run up to her at church 
     because of the love they receive when they are with her.

  In 2009, after 9 years of legal proceedings and deportation 
proceedings, here is what Herta said about being placed in deportation.

       I was shocked. My friends are here, my education is here, 
     my community is here. All of a sudden, I was asked to leave 
     behind everything I know and go back to a country I barely 
     know. When I lived there, I was little, so I don't remember 
     much and I barely speak Albanian any more.

  Herta's community rose to her defense. Thousands of people signed an 
online petition to stop her deportation. Last year, the Department of 
Homeland Security granted Herta a 1-year stay--just 1 year. The 
Department is now considering whether to delay it for another year. I 
sincerely hope they will.
  Would it be a good use of taxpayer dollars to deport Herta? Of course 
not. There is so much discussion in America today about what we need 
from our young people for America to succeed in the future in the so-
called STEM fields--science, technology, engineering, and math. Every 
year we issue thousands of H-1B visas to bring foreign workers to the 
United States in the STEM fields.
  Herta is a straight-A student in electrical engineering, a STEM 
field. She doesn't need an H-1B visa. She is a homegrown American 
talent. Why in the world would we create a law to allow someone who has 
never lived in the United States to come here and legally reside to 
become an electrical engineer and tell Herta, who has lived

[[Page S3669]]

here all of the life she remembers, she has to leave? That is just 
plain wrong.
  Herta came to Capitol Hill to speak at a briefing I sponsored for the 
DREAM Act, and this is what she said.

       I'm a typical story. There are thousands of stories out 
     there just like mine. Please support the DREAM Act so 
     students like me don't have to leave. We are worth it. This 
     is a country we have come to love.

  Herta is right. She and thousands of others are worth it. They have 
so much to contribute to America if we just give them a chance.
  Let me introduce you to one other student. This is Julieta Garibay. 
Julieta was brought to the United States in 1992 at the age of 1. She 
graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in 
nursing. She was on the dean's list and the president's honor roll and 
volunteered more than 500 hours at hospitals in Dallas and Austin. 
Julieta went on to earn a master's degree at the University of Texas in 
public health nursing. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the 
international Honor Society of Nursing. She has been a registered nurse 
since 2004.
  Here is the problem. Julieta is undocumented. She cannot legally work 
in the United States of America. Let me tell you something else about 
Julieta. She is married to SSG Armen Weinrick, who serves in the U.S. 
Air Force Reserves. Here is a picture of Julieta and Staff Sergeant 
Weinrick at Julieta's graduation. Staff Sergeant Weinrick is currently 
awaiting deployment. He will go overseas to defend our country, but 
while he is gone serving America, his wife could be deported. That is 
just plain wrong.
  Julieta sent me a letter, and here is what she said about her dreams 
for the future.

       I desperately need the DREAM Act to pass so I can practice 
     my beloved profession--nursing. I have been dreaming of being 
     a nurse for the past 7 years since I earned my nursing 
     license. Once the DREAM Act passes, I will join the military 
     in hopes of making up the lost time and serve the country I 
     call home as a nurse.

  Do we need more nurses in America? Of course, we do. In fact, the 
United States imports thousands of foreign-trained nurses each year to 
meet the needs of our country. What is wrong with this picture? This 
young lady has a master's degree in nursing from the University of 
Texas. I am sure my colleague on the Senate floor would acknowledge 
that is one of the most highly regarded universities in America. She 
has this master's degree, and they are planning to deport her. If they 
do, she will probably cross paths in the airport with a nurse coming 
here from some foreign country on a work visa to work in our hospitals. 
That isn't fair, it isn't smart, and it just doesn't make sense.
  The DREAM Act would give Julieta the chance to serve the America she 
loves, the America she calls home.
  I first introduced the DREAM Act in 2001. Since then I have met so 
many immigrant students who would qualify, such as Herta Llusho and 
Julieta Garibay. They are Americans in their hearts. They are willing 
to serve our country and to make it a better place. We have to give 
them a chance.
  I ask my colleagues: Please, in your heart of hearts, think about the 
fairness and justice behind this legislation. Let's support and pass 
the DREAM Act. It is the right thing to do. It will make America a 
stronger nation.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that following 
my remarks, the Senator from Texas, Mr. Cornyn, be recognized.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Washington is recognized.
  Mrs. MURRAY. I thank the Chair.
  (The remarks of Mrs. Murray pertaining to the introduction of S. 1166 
are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.

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