[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 194 (Wednesday, November 29, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7376-S7377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  DACA

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to speak about 
the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, known as DACA. 
DACA, an Executive order of President Obama, provided temporary, 
renewable legal status for immigrant students if they registered with 
the government, paid a filing fee of $500, passed a criminal and 
national security background check. About 780,000 young people stepped 
forward and did something they had been warned their entire lives never 
to do. Their parents knew they were undocumented. They knew that they 
had been brought to this country at an early age. They knew that they 
weren't technically legal, and their parents had warned them: Stay away 
from cops and government. All that can happen is that they will 
discover you are undocumented and deport you and maybe your family as 
well. Be careful.
  So President Obama stepped up and said: If you will step forward, 
tell us who you are, and let us do a background check on you, we are 
going to give you a chance--a chance to earn your way to legal status 
in America--and 780,000 young people took that chance and signed up for 
DACA.
  Just this last Monday I was up in New York City, and I went to Hunter 
College, which is part of the City University of New York, and there 
were about five young people on a forum with me to discuss this bill 
and the issue of Dreamers and immigration. It was interesting because 
each one of them--bright students, impressive young people--before they 
would say anything, they would introduce themselves by saying something 
like ``My name is Isadora, and I have 465 days.'' And the next one 
would say, ``My name is Evelyn, and I have 270 days.'' They were 
telling me how much time they had left, protected, to continue on as 
students.
  They know that President Trump's decision on September 5 to abolish 
DACA means that their protection is going to end as of March 5 next 
year, and then they face some terrible possibilities. The first is 
deportation. These people have turned themselves in. They have stepped 
up and identified themselves to our government with the belief that our 
government would not hold it against them, and now they worry that has 
changed. They are worried about what will happen to their family 
because they had the courage to come up and sign up for this program. 
These are very real, lifetime problems and challenges these young 
people face.
  If you look through the list of those who could be affected if DACA 
disappears, as President Trump has called for on March 5, there are 
some heartbreaking stories. Do you know there are 900 DACA-protected 
young people who have volunteered and now serve in the U.S. military? 
That is right. Even though they are undocumented because of DACA, they 
were allowed to sign up for a program known as MAVNI, which is a 
specialized program for those who have talents that are needed in our 
military, and they literally signed up. Think of that for a moment. 
Here they are, illegal in America, undocumented in America, willing to 
risk their lives for America. Why? Because it is the only country they 
know. They have lived their whole lives here. They have gone to school 
here. They have pledged allegiance to that flag every day in the 
classroom. That was their flag, their national anthem, their country. 
But because they were brought here as children, toddlers, infants, 
necessary papers were not filed. They have no legal status in this 
country. Well, I hope we can change that.
  When I asked President Obama to create this program by Executive 
order, he waited and worked for a year before he came up with it, and I 
thought it was a good program. It was controversial, but at least for 
these young people, it gave them a temporary renewable status, and that 
made all the difference in the world.
  When Attorney General Sessions announced the end of DACA on September 
5, the President challenged us. He challenged the Senate and the House 
of Representatives. He said: Do something about this. Pass a law. Take 
care of this problem.
  I think DACA was legal, but I am not going to argue that point 
anymore. The new President does not, but I accept his challenge, and I 
think we all should.

[[Page S7377]]

  What can we do that is fair to these young people and gives them the 
chance they are asking for that is consistent with a good immigration 
policy for America? That is why, years ago, I introduced the DREAM Act 
and why I still believe it is the right approach. The notion behind it, 
of course, is if you were brought here as a child, you have no criminal 
record of any serious nature, you have completed your education, you 
have a chance to earn your way into legal status and then ultimately 
into citizenship, and that is what we are working on now.
  A number of us are getting together and talking about it on a 
bipartisan basis, and we have little time left. This has to be done 
this year, before the end of December. Why do I say that if the program 
expires in March of next year? Well, because I have been around the 
Senate for a few years, and I know in January and February there is 
little, if any, heavy lifting. There are few bills that have to pass, 
and we tend to put things off. So far this year, we really wouldn't get 
gold stars for our performance on the floor of the Senate in generating 
legislation and that is why I want to get that done--the whole Dream 
Act and DACA done--in the month of December before we leave. If we 
don't do it, if we fail--and I pray that we won't--but if we fail, as 
of March 5 of next year, 1,000 of these young people will lose their 
protection under the law every single day for 2 years--1,000 a day.
  I mentioned those serving in the military. There are 20,000 under 
DACA who are teachers. As of March 5 next year, they will lose their 
jobs. School districts all around America will have to fill those 
vacancies because the teachers can no longer legally work for the 
school districts, and there are many others who face that as well. We 
have almost 90 percent who are engaged in some type of job. Many are 
students who work because they, as undocumented students, don't qualify 
for Federal assistance. So they hold down jobs to pay for their college 
education. I have met them. Some of them break down in tears and say: 
Senator, I am so close to graduating, but what's the point if I am 
going to be deported the day after? What's the point?

  That is what we are up against, and that is what we face. What we 
need to do is take a look at the real-life stories.
  I want to introduce to you a person who is a friend of mine. He is an 
amazing person. This is Cesar Montelongo, as shown in this picture. 
Cesar was 10 years old when his family brought him here from Mexico. He 
grew up in New Mexico, where his academic achievement was quickly 
recognized. He graduated from high school with a grade point average 
above 4.0. He was ranked third in his class. He was a member of the 
Chess, French, Spanish, Physics, and Science Clubs. He even took 
college classes during the last 2 years of high school.
  Cesar went on to New Mexico State University, where he had a triple 
major in biology, microbiology, and Spanish, as well as two minors in 
chemistry and biochemistry. He is one smart fellow. He graduated with 
distinction in the honors track with a 3.9 GPA. He then earned a 
master's degree in biology.
  He earned a master's degree in biology because his dream was to go to 
medical school. But before DACA, it was impossible. He could not apply 
for medical school. The medical schools of America were not accepting 
the students who were undocumented. He knew if he went to medical 
school anywhere and didn't have a legal right to work, he couldn't 
complete a residency at the end of medical school. So he got a master's 
degree in biology and a minor in molecular biology and worked as a 
teaching assistant.
  Then DACA came along. Today, Cesar is the first DACA student who is 
enrolled in the MD-PhD program at Loyola University Chicago Stritch 
School of Medicine. He is entering his third year of this highly 
competitive program. They accept only a handful for an MD-PhD. On 
completion, he will receive a medical degree and a doctorate degree in 
science. He is one of more than 30 DACA recipients at this medical 
school, which I am so proud of, in Chicago. It was, in fact, the first 
medical school to admit students with DACA status, beginning in 2014.
  DACA students don't get special treatment--no quotas. They have to 
compete. But amazingly bright, young people like Cesar were just 
waiting for a chance to compete.
  In order to finish their education at this medical school, they 
borrow from the State of Illinois government, which gives them a loan 
for their medical education. For every year that they are given a loan, 
they pledge to serve 1 year as medical doctors in an underserved area 
of our State. It is a win-win situation.
  He is now doing amazing research. He is researching how bladder 
viruses shape bacteria populations and the potential implications for 
urinary infections and disease.
  He is a member of the pathology medical group. He is a Spanish 
interpreter at the local clinic, and a mentor to other medical 
students.
  I asked Cesar: What drew you to medicine? Here is what he said:

       When I was very young, my father became ill and then was 
     bedridden for months. He was the primary breadwinner and I 
     saw him as our protector. Watching him immobilized and 
     screaming in pain had a huge impact on me. Years later we 
     would find out that my father suffered from diabetic myopathy 
     and neuropathy. Learning that both his illness and our 
     family's suffering could have been prevented by education and 
     relatively inexpensive medication was heartbreaking. But at 
     the same time, it made me realize the potential of medicine.

  What is Cesar's dream for the future? To become a practicing 
physician and a scientist and to develop new and improved clinical 
diagnostic tools so that doctors can diagnose and treat diseases 
better.
  Close to 70 Dreamers are enrolled in medical schools around the 
United States. Why is DACA important to him? Any student like him who 
is in a medical school today and wants to go on to a residency has to 
be able to work. Residents work long hours in hospitals while they are 
learning. If he didn't have DACA, he wouldn't have legal permission or 
legal authority to work in this country. No medical school will accept 
him for a residency unless he has that DACA protection.
  Why in the world would we let this young man's vigorous pursuit of 
education and brilliance be wasted? We need him. We need him in 
Chicago. We need him in Illinois. We need him in America--and many 
others just like him.
  The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that the 
Nation's doctor shortage will rise to 40,000 and even to 105,000 by the 
year 2030. Both the AMA and the Association of American Medical 
Colleges have warned that ending DACA will hurt when it comes to this 
physician shortage. They want Congress to do something.
  Listen to what the AMA says:

       Estimates have shown that the DACA initiative could help 
     introduce 5,400 previously ineligible physicians into the 
     U.S. healthcare system in the coming decades to help address 
     [physician] shortages and ensure patient access to care. . . 
     . Removing those with DACA status will create care shortages 
     for rural and underserved areas. . . . Without these 
     physicians, the AMA is concerned that the quality of care 
     provided in these communities will be negatively impacted.

  I know the Presiding Officer is from the State of North Carolina. In 
my State of Illinois, we have some great big cities, and we have some 
great small towns. Many of the best small towns and rural areas from my 
end of the State are desperate to make sure they have good doctors at 
their local hospitals and people available in the community.
  We can't afford to lose Cesar. We can't afford to lose the thousands 
of others the AMA tells us are poised to become doctors and to fill our 
need across America. This aging population of our country is going to 
need doctors and nurses and physical therapists more than ever. If 
these young people can answer that call, they will not only be serving 
our Nation, but they will be serving their own goals to be part of our 
Nation's future.
  Now it is up to us. We are supposed to leave here in a matter of 
days. That means those of us who are serious about this issue have to 
do something meaningful and important, and do it quickly.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.

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