[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 121 (Monday, July 12, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S4825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    TRIBUTE TO EDWIN REYES DeQUIROS

 Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Mr. 
Edwin Reyes DeQuiros, a dedicated servant to the great people of West 
Virginia. After a 34 year career, Edwin is retiring as an Immigration 
Services Officer for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 
Application Support Center office in Charleston, WV.
  Edwin is a joy to work with and has served as a valuable and 
consistent liaison between USCIS and my office. His goal is to try to 
assist the customers to the best of his knowledge and experience but 
not to the extent of compromising U.S. immigration laws and the USCIS 
policies and regulations.
  Born and raised in the Philippines, Edwin is no stranger to the legal 
immigration process. In January of 1981, he married a young beautiful 
woman from Charleston, WV. Based upon this marriage and her approved 
immigration petition, the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, issued 
an immigrant visa for him as the spouse of a U.S. citizen.
  In September 1982, he and his wife, along with their then 10-month-
old son, arrived in Los Angeles, CA. Finding a job in L.A. was 
difficult and frustrating as a new immigrant with no work experience in 
the United States in addition to not having a vehicle.
  In November 1982, an experience he credits to the grace of God and 
answered prayer, he was hired by the Broadway Department Store, sister 
company of Neiman-Marcus, as a merchandise handler. His job was to 
unload merchandise from the semi-trucks to the stockrooms. A year 
later, he was promoted to a plainclothes loss prevention officer tasked 
with arresting shoplifters. Two years later, he became the loss 
prevention manager of the same store, and one of his duties was to 
apprehend dishonest store employees. He became a naturalized citizen of 
the United States in July of 1986.
  In November 1987, he saw an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times 
that the legacy INS--now the United States Citizenship and Immigration 
Services--was hiring a Criminal Investigator/Special Agent. Edwin was 
hired and became an INS Special Agent, attended the Immigration Officer 
Basic Training Course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in 
Brunswick, GA, and was assigned to various units--Fraud, Employer 
Sanctions, Anti-Smuggling, Criminal Alien Apprehension Program, and the 
Violent Gang Task Force--within the INS Investigation Branch.
  Nine years later, he transferred to the INS Investigation Branch in 
Charleston, WV, eventually named Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 
ICE. During his time as an ICE Senior Special Agent, he was assigned to 
investigate child pornography cases, import and export law violations, 
and human trafficking/smuggling cases.
  After more than 20 years of combined and exemplary service with 
legacy INS and ICE, Edwin retired on September 29, 2008. Three days 
later, he was hired on a government contract as a Special Deputy U.S. 
Marshal with the U.S. Marshal Service in Charleston, WV. On January 30, 
2012, he became an Immigration Services Officer for the United States 
Citizenship and Immigration Services' Application Support Center office 
in Charleston, WV.
  Edwin and his wife of 40 years, Christine, are the parents of two 
children, Adrian and Jeremy. In retirement, they will enjoy time with 
family, riding their road bikes, traveling and walking the trail paths 
along the Kanawha River. Edwin truly believes that wherever God leads 
him and however he serves Him, he can be used by God to help others 
shine His light. We thank Edwin for his service and for shining his 
light for those on the immigration path. It is a pleasure to call Edwin 
DeQuiros a fellow West Virginian.

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