[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 144 (Thursday, September 7, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H7099-H7100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Vargas) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the recent 
decision made by the Trump administration to end the Deferred Action 
for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.
  By ending the DACA program, this administration leaves 800,000 
people, mostly young adults and children, without any legal 
protections.
  DACA gives these individuals, most of whom were brought to the United 
States as very young children, the opportunity to work hard, study 
hard, sustain their families, and contribute to their communities. DACA 
recipients are taxpayers, they are students, they are soldiers, and 
they are our neighbors.
  I would like to mention one DACA recipient that I know. Her name is 
Jacqueline. Jacqueline was brought to the United States when she was 2 
years old. She excelled in school and was an Advancement Via Individual 
Determination--or what we call AVID--student in high school. She did 
very well. She was a strong candidate for admission to many of our top 
universities.
  When DACA was announced in 2012, it helped Jacqueline come out of the 
shadows and pursue her educational dreams. She did exactly that, and 
now she is a double major. She is doing very well. DACA gave Jacqueline 
and her family hope for a better future. It gave her a chance at the 
American Dream.
  By ending DACA, this administration is taking away the hopes of 
800,000 DREAMers like Jacqueline and threatening their deportation to 
countries that are very unfamiliar to them, places they may have never 
known--except, of course, when they were 2--and they have no family 
there.
  I would like to thank the religious leaders who have come forward and 
have urged us to do the right thing and to pass a law to allow these 
kids and these young adults to stay here and to participate in our 
community as they have been doing.
  I would like to read a letter now that was written by the religious 
leaders here in Washington to the President.

       As leaders of the three Abrahamic faiths, we look to our 
     sacred texts and traditions in seeking to follow the way of 
     peace.
       Our respective teachings are clear, and we speak with one 
     voice when we say:
       Supporting the dreams of young immigrants in the United 
     States is consistent with the foundational values of our 
     Nation and with the moral imperative of extending hospitality 
     to the stranger, of caring for immigrants and children, and 
     of loving our neighbors as ourselves.
       Nearly 1 million young immigrants have benefited from the 
     DACA program since its inception in 2012. Among that number, 
     many of the program recipients are members of our respective 
     faith communities as well as the communities we mentor in and 
     around the Nation's Capital.
       We have witnessed firsthand the relief and pride in our 
     young people's faces as they finally came to feel validated 
     and safe by participating in a program that made them feel 
     more at home--in the only country that they have ever really 
     considered their home.
       But now anxiety and fear for their future has returned.
       We note that DACA has widespread support across the country 
     and among politicians who agree on little else, for good 
     reason. DACA has dramatically improved the lives of these 
     young people and the communities in which they live:

[[Page H7100]]

       Ninety-five percent of the DACA participants are working or 
     attend high school;
       Sixty-eight percent of those working have seen their pay 
     increase and, thus, are paying higher taxes;
       Fifty percent now have driver's licenses, which makes the 
     roads safer for everyone;
       Fifty-four percent have purchased their first car; and
       Twelve percent have purchased their first home.
       Rescinding DACA would have a widespread, devastating impact 
     not only on a generation of industrious young people, but 
     also on their families, communities, and our society as a 
     whole.
       Thus, we add our voices to those urging you, Mr. President, 
     to keep this policy in place until Congress puts in place a 
     permanent solution.
       It is our collective prayer that in the coming months 
     congressional leaders work together to pass sensible and 
     comprehensive immigration reform that our country so 
     desperately needs, including making the DACA program 
     permanent.
       But until that time comes, the least that our country can 
     do is to continue supporting our DREAMers. Keep DACA in 
     place, Mr. President.
       Faithfully,
       The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the 
     Episcopal Diocese of Washington;
       Rabbi Bruce Lustig, Senior Rabbi of Washington Hebrew 
     Congregation;
       Imam Talib M. Shareef, The Nation's Mosque;
       His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of 
     Washington.

  Mr. Speaker, we can do the right thing. We can pass comprehensive 
immigration reform, and we should. But at least we can pass DACA.
  I know, Mr. Speaker, that there is goodwill on both sides. Let's come 
together over this and do the right thing as our community leaders and 
as our religious leaders are asking us.

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