[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 113 (Thursday, June 18, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3086-S3087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                  DACA

  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, 8 years ago almost to the day, President 
Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival, otherwise 
known as DACA. At the time, I remember the conversations a number of us 
had with President Obama, saying please give us a chance to work this 
out by passing appropriate legislation in the Congress. He heard those 
pleas, but in spite of the fact of saying numerous times he did not 
have the authority to do so, he proceeded to issue a memorandum that 
gave rise to the DACA program.
  Rather than rolling up our sleeves and working together to create 
lasting immigration policy, President Obama chose to do this through an 
Executive memorandum. It is that Executive memorandum that has made its 
way through the courts over the last 8 years and finally to the U.S. 
Supreme Court.
  Unfortunately, this is the bitter fruit of what President Obama did 
when he attempted to usurp Congress in a way to provide certainty and 
comfort to hundreds of thousands of young people--a goal that we all 
share--but to do so in a way that ultimately created more harm. It sent 
them on a years' long tumultuous journey, which is not over with the 
Supreme Court decision today. Basically, what the Supreme Court said 
was, under the Administrative Procedure Act, he didn't do it the right 
way, so go back and try it again and get it right this time.
  Well, I think these young people deserve better. The debate over 
President

[[Page S3087]]

Obama's authority has held these individuals hostage, leaving them 
wondering if they might ultimately be deported to a country they have 
no memory of and forced to leave their families, their jobs, and the 
opportunities they have worked so hard to build here in the United 
States behind.
  Make no mistake about it, today the Supreme Court ruled that the 
Department of Homeland Security didn't follow the proper procedures to 
rescind the DACA program and thus allowed the program to continue for 
now, but this is just a temporary measure. DACA recipients must have a 
permanent legislative solution. They deserve nothing less. These young 
men and women have done nothing wrong. They came to the United States 
as children, and in America, we don't hold children responsible for the 
mistakes of their parents, in this case, the mistake of not going 
through the legal immigration process. So these kids--young people, I 
should say--are innocent.
  Texas is home to more than 100,000 DACA recipients who are a vital 
part of our communities. They have grown up with our kids, attended the 
same churches, shopped at the same stores, and defended our freedoms in 
the U.S. military. Many of these young people are in their 30s now with 
careers, families, plans, hopes and dreams of their own.
  So the uncertainty about their status and what will happen to them is 
no less terrifying for them than it would be for any of us. It is 
simply unfair for these young people who, again, through no fault of 
their own, find themselves in this situation to rely solely on an 
Executive memorandum instead of a law passed by Congress. I believed 
that when President Obama rejected our request to work with Congress 
and come up with a permanent solution, and I believe it now.
  I believe the Supreme Court has thrust upon us a unique moment and an 
opportunity. We need to take action and pass legislation that will 
unequivocally allow these young men and women to stay in the only home 
in the only country they have ever known.
  In the past, I have supported a number of bills that would have 
allowed these individuals to remain in the United States without the 
fear of a court decision hanging in the balance, but each time, 
partisan disagreements have prevented us from turning anything into 
law. When it comes to immigration laws, Congress, on a bipartisan 
basis, never fails to fail.
  Well, I hope we can all agree, given this opportunity, that it is not 
time for politics as usual, but it is time to provide some certainty, 
some compassion, some support for these young men and women. After 
years of being yanked around from courtroom to courtroom, these young 
men and women deserve that certainty. They deserve to know that, when 
they apply to college, grow up with their families, live their lives, 
and do all the things everybody else wants to do, that they can do so 
without a dark cloud hanging over their plans. But, as usual, in order 
to come up with any solution, it is going to take buy-in from the 
Senate, House, and White House.
  I have been having conversations for years about this topic, but most 
recently, I have been having conversations about the most efficient and 
effective way to protect these young people in the long-term, and I am 
willing to work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, who is interested 
in solving the problem--not grandstanding, not posturing, not acting 
like you care when you really don't, elevating politics over a 
solution. I am not interested in that. If anyone is interested in 
solving the problem and providing support for these young people, I am 
all in.
  Over the years, I have engaged with the Texas Hispanic Chambers of 
Commerce, LULAC, Catholic bishops, and a number of other individuals 
and organizations that share my commitment to providing certainty for 
these young people. I hope we can come together and help them. These 
folks want nothing more than to continue to be part of the American 
dream. I hope we can deliver