[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 98 (Thursday, June 18, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H4536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DACA ANNIVERSARY
(Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, this week we marked 3 years since President
Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. He
did this in response to Congress' failure to pass the DREAM Act and
help children of undocumented immigrants stay here and help build a
better future for America.
For children who probably know no language other than English and
know no country other than America, for many of these immigrants
brought here as children through no fault of their own, America is the
only home they have ever known. They love this country, and they
deserve a chance to stay and contribute to our Nation's future.
President Obama announced an expanded DACA last year, along with the
program that deals with parents of such children to help the immigrant
parents of American citizens and legal residents. Unfortunately, a
partisan lawsuit has held up their implementation, and Republicans have
now voted three times to end this opportunity for children of
immigrants. They would split families apart.
If my Republican friends wish to change our immigration policies,
they have a perfect vehicle, Mr. Speaker, for doing so: a comprehensive
immigration reform bill supported, in my opinion, by a majority of the
House of Representatives. Let's bring such a bill to the floor so that
we can fix our broken immigration system and create a pathway to
citizenship for these DREAMers and others who have been living and
working here for almost all their lives.
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