[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 105 (Thursday, June 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2107-S2108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                  DACA

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in June, our Nation celebrates National 
Immigrant Heritage Month. It is a reminder that, with the exception of 
Native Americans and the descendants of enslaved people, every one of 
us shares something in common with the families arriving in America 
today, and that is the fact that our own ancestors once traveled far 
and wide to reach this land of liberty and opportunity. In my case, it 
was my grandmother. The year was 1911. She was forced to flee her home 
in Lithuania. She boarded a ship in Germany, bound for America, 
carrying two things in her arms: her Catholic prayer book and my infant 
mother. She arrived in our country with the same hopes as every 
immigrant who comes to America--from the immigrant business owners in 
my State of Illinois and communities like Little Village to all of the 
immigrant farm workers who keep food on our tables.
  And today, the month of June is not only a chance to celebrate 
America's heritage as a nation of immigrants, it should also serve as a 
call to action for us in Congress. That is because today, June 15th, 
marks the 11th anniversary of a life-changing program for a group of 
young people who share my mother's story--the Deferred Action For 
Childhood Arrival Program, DACA.
  Back in 2010, on a bipartisan basis, the late Republican Senator 
Richard Lugar and I asked President Obama to use his power as President 
to protect from deportation hundreds of thousands of young people, many 
of whom arrived in our country as infants and toddlers, like my mom. 
And 11 years ago today, President Obama responded. He announced that he 
would use his executive authority to create the DACA Program.
  These young people are known generally as Dreamers. They have grown 
up alongside our kids and grandkids. They pledge allegiance, as you 
said so many times, to the same American flag, and many have gone on to 
serve our Nation as members of the United States Armed Forces, first 
responders, and much more. In fact, over the years, Dreamers have 
become a household name. They have touched the hearts of Americans 
because in them, we see ourselves, our own history, our own families.
  Dreamers have earned their place in the American story. But right 
now, they are still waiting on this Congress to finish the job that 
President Obama started with DACA.
  This program was always intended to be a temporary solution. The 
permanent solution is obvious: Enact legislation--bipartisan 
legislation--that was introduced more than two decades ago--the DREAM 
Act. It would provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers all across 
America. Without the protections of the DREAM Act, these young people 
have been forced to live a life of uncertainty. They have to renew 
their status every 2 years, which means they can only plan their lives 
in two-year installments.
  Today I want to tell you the story about one Dreamer. Her name is 
Sumbul Siddiqui. Her story is the 136th Dreamer story that I have 
shared on the Senate floor. Sumbul's family moved to the State of 
Georgia from Pakistan when she was 4 years old. With most of her 
relatives out of the country, she relied on her neighbors in Georgia as 
her chosen family. Growing up, she was a star student with no shortage 
of passions. She spent hours in the library getting lost in books, 
learned to play the viola, and fell in love with the arts. In her mind, 
she was just like any other kid, until she started applying to college 
and discovered officially, legally, she was not an American citizen.
  So even though Sumbul graduated from high school with the highest 
honors, she feared that her immigration status would prevent her from 
pursuing a college education. Fortunately, it did not.
  Instead, Sumbul was awarded a private merit scholarship to attend 
Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, GA. During her first year, she was 
accepted into the DACA Program. She worked four jobs to cover the cost 
of tuition and graduated still a semester early with honors. She even 
found time to volunteer at a free health clinic. And it was in this 
role, working alongside doctors in her community, that she found her 
professional calling: medicine. So she decided to apply to a medical 
school that had supported Dreamers since the beginning of DACA. I am 
proud to say it is the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in 
Chicago.
  You see, back in 2012, the Stritch School of Medicine made a brave 
commitment. They became the first medical school in America to adjust 
its admission policy to welcome Dreamers. And in the years since, 
nearly 40 Dreamers have graduated from this program at that medical 
school.
  Last month, Dr. Sumbul Siddiqui became one of those graduates. I had 
the honor of speaking at her commencement ceremony before she and her 
fellow graduating class, which included five other DACA recipients, 
walked across the stage to receive their medical degrees. With her 
medical degree, Dr. Siddiqui plans to dedicate her career to serving 
families in the Chicagoland area. Soon, she will begin her residency at 
the University of Chicago, where she will focus on supporting 
underserved communities.
  Ask yourself a basic question: Would America be better off if Dr. 
Siddiqui and Dreamers like her were unable to work here in the United 
States, when our communities are in desperate need of doctors and 
nurses? Of course not.
  Earlier this year, I reintroduced the Dream Act with my friend, 
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. We have been on the cusp of passing 
the DREAM Act for years, but time and again, Congress has failed to 
finish the job.
  Right now, this legislation is more important than ever. That is 
because one judge in Texas--who has repeatedly ruled against DACA--
could soon end protections for nearly 600,000 Dreamers. That would be a 
disaster--not just for Dreamers, but for our entire country. It is time 
for Congress to step up and meet our responsibility to Dreamers once 
and for all--as well as our responsibility for America's future--on a 
bipartisan basis.
  I think that time is already here, and I hope we will meet our 
obligation that is long overdue to solve this problem, not just for 
this wonderful young woman and the ambition she has shown to make a 
better life for herself, but for the future world.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.

[[Page S2108]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.