[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 15, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3981-S3982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DACA 4-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I wish to speak on this fourth
anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program,
DACA, for all of the young men and young women it has helped bring out
of the shadows--young men and woman who came to this country as
children and, because of DACA, have had the security of temporary
deportation relief and work authorization so they could achieve their
full potential as young Americans.
I celebrate DACA's anniversary with great pride and tremendous hope.
For years, I pushed hard to make this program a reality.
I have spoken directly--and frankly--to the President many times
about granting long-overdue administrative relief to DREAMers, who are
Americans in every way except for a piece of paper.
And 4 years ago, with the tireless advocacy of DREAMers and the power
of their individual stories, with the help of the immigrant community,
community leaders in cities and towns across America, and countless
Members of Congress, the President took action and changed the lives of
thousands of young men and women, allowing them to fully contribute to
the country they call home--the only country they have ever known. DACA
recipients are part of our communities in all 50 States.
New Jersey ranks ninth in the Nation, with over 34,000 approved DACA
applications. These young people have been granted the most important
thing they could have: the peace of mind that comes with temporary
protection from deportation and the ability to work and contribute.
Since its inception, DACA has harnessed their talents in measurable
ways and is a success today because of the President's bold Executive
actions in June of 2012. In an immigration system as flawed as ours,
DACA has been a beacon of hope, one shining light leading the way
toward fairness, justice, and a better life for so many immigrants
looking for a chance to succeed in America as Americans.
The numbers tell the story. DACA has been granted to approximately
728,000 young immigrants. It has strengthened our economy. A survey by
the National Immigration Law Center and the Center for American
Progress found that after obtaining DACA, more than two-thirds of
recipients were able to secure a job with higher pay and their wages
rose by an average of 45 percent.
Higher wages are not just good for DACA recipients, but for all
Americans; it stimulates economic growth and translates into more tax
revenue.
DACA has allowed young Americans to open bank accounts, get a
driver's license, go to college, and prepare for a stable, economically
secure, and financially solvent future for themselves and their
families.
There is no question in my mind--and the numbers prove it--that DACA
has been a model of success, and that success has been shaped by the
courageous young men and women who decided to come forward, register
with the government, subject themselves to a background check, work
hard, and take advantage of every single opportunity that DACA
provides.
These young men and women and their families represent who we are as
a nation. They embody the spirit of American life, which has always
been shaped by the hopes, dreams, and courage of those who have made
this country their home.
In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, DACA allows these
young people to live with dignity and without the fear of deportation--
the fear of being separated from their families. Now, they are our
newest college students, teachers, and small business owners.
So here we are--with the perspective of 4 years of DACA success, 4
years of dreams fulfilled, potential reached--and proof that all of
America benefits when an undocumented individual steps out of the
shadows--proof that, when we give people a chance, they can make it on
their own ingenuity, skill, and hard work, and they will not only
contribute to the economy, but to the strength of America.
With the lessons of 4 years of DACA, it should be clear that we need
to build upon DACA's success, not turn our backs on extending fair
opportunities to those who are willing to work hard for them.
For many, the dream began with DACA. For others, the dream remains
only a dream, delayed because of the politically motivated lawsuit of
U.S. v. Texas. A case which has blocked the President's more recent
Executive actions, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Legal
Permanent Residents, DAPA, and expanded DACA from being implemented.
These new programs provide temporary relief from deportation and a
work permit to parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent resident
children and a larger group of DREAMers.
The case is currently before the Supreme Court, and we expect the
Court to issue a decision this month.
I attended oral arguments on April 18 and remain hopeful that the
Justices will see through the hate and the political theater, and that
it will be clear that our Nation governs by its values, that we favor
building bridges instead of walls.
And I am not alone in that hope. I was joined by 224 Members of
Congress in filing an amicus brief outlining the legality and
importance of implementing the President's DAPA and expanded DACA
programs.
We felt the need to show our support for the President's actions
while pushing back against the jingoism, isolationism, and xenophobia
of those who insist on leaving millions of families, millions of
parents of U.S. children stuck in the shadows.
With this case, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to do something
positive: to provide temporary relief from deportation and a work
permit to almost 4 million parents of U.S. citizens and lawful
permanent residents.
[[Page S3982]]
It would allow the current DACA program to be expanded to benefit
almost 300,000 more DREAMers. Combined, these programs would help
almost 5 million immigrants waiting for a chance to come out of the
shadows.
And we know, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, DAPA
and expanded DACA have one dramatic impact that cannot be denied: They
give young people and their parents the peace of mind every family
deserves--to be able to build their lives together.
It is my sincere hope that the politics of what is happening in this
lawsuit and with the immigration rhetoric in general will be abundantly
clear to the Supreme Court and we will have a positive ruling that
allows expanded DACA and DAPA to move forward, bring some order, and
keep hard-working families together.
I believe the Supreme Court will agree that the President's Executive
actions are within his legal authority, that they represent the very
best of American values and a fundamental respect for family unity.
This is a pivotal legal battle over what amounts to the basic humanity
of American immigration policy. I am not exaggerating when I say that
people's lives and families are at stake.
It is personal. I have spoken to police chiefs, teachers, religious
leaders, moms and dads, and U.S. citizen children, and it is clear that
these policies are just and humane to keep these families together.
Ultimately, the only way to fix our broken immigration system is for
Congress to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. I will continue
to fight for comprehensive immigration reform that will fix our
Nation's broken immigration system once and for all, not just because
it makes good economic sense, but because it is the right thing to do--
because we are a nation of immigrants.
DACA's success should further encourage Congress to move forward,
fortified by the conviction that comprehensive immigration reform is a
fight worth fighting for.
But today I join my colleagues in commemorating DACA's anniversary as
a day that marks 4 years of smart and successful policy, as a step in
the right direction, and as a foundation upon which we can continue to
build. The foundation that the Supreme Court should look to when ruling
on DAPA and expanded DACA.
Let's work to extend the American Dream to all.
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