[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H588-H589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE 7TH ANNUAL DOMINICANS ON THE HILL DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 7th Annual 
Dominicans on the Hill event which will be held tomorrow. It is a time 
for all participants to celebrate the contributions of Dominican 
Americans throughout the country.
  In fact, we have today in the gallery the Honorable Ricardo de los 
Santos Polanco, who is the president of the Dominican Senate, and 
Alfredo Pacheco, who is the president of the house. They will be with 
us for the next couple of days, and I want to extend the courtesies of 
the House so that all of us can attend this wonderful event that is 
being held for the seventh year in a row.


             Protecting Dreamers, Families, and Farmworkers

  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Dreamers, 
farmworkers, and families. Much has been said about the immigration 
issues at the border. I think what has not been said is the fact that 
we all want to make sure that the border is more secure. There is no 
disagreement in that.

                              {time}  1215

  We can work together to make the border safer, safer for children, 
for families, for women, for grandparents and for the communities, the 
border

[[Page H589]]

communities that many of our Members and colleagues represent. We 
should work together to make sure that the border is safer.
  However, Mr. Speaker, there is a reality in the Nation, and that is 
that Dreamers are young people that are teachers and nurses. They are 
part of our communities. They own their homes. Many of them have their 
own businesses. Yet, they haven't been given the opportunity to be a 
full part of America.
  Dreamers have been, on the average, in the United States for about 20 
years. They have lived here. Many of them pay taxes. They haven't 
committed any crimes. They play by the rules. They stay within the 
parameters of the law. Yet, we have failed to allow them to be fully 
part of this American experience. We should work very hard to ensure 
that Dreamers are given that opportunity. In fact, 80 percent of 
Americans feel that Dreamers should be given that opportunity.
  Farmworkers, Mr. Speaker, we all know many of them aren't going to 
work because they are afraid they are going to be deported. In fact, 40 
percent of farmworkers are undocumented, and they are not showing up at 
the farms. That will show up at our cash register. That will show up at 
our dinner table.
  Farmers are also a sector of the immigrant community that we should 
help. Prices will come down. They will be able to go to work, and we 
will get greater goods in our houses, in our grocery stores, and in our 
supermarkets.
  Dreamers and farmers are an important part of the immigration 
equation that often are left out. You would think that the only part of 
the immigration debate is the border. We all agree that the border 
should be safer.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, families should be kept together. The average 
immigrant family has been here in the country for over 10 years. 
Families, if they are divided, or if a young boy or a young girl is 
taken away from his or her mother, that family will be weaker, and as 
such, our Nation will be weaker.
  The equation is simple. Weak families make a weak nation. Separated 
families become weak families, and as such, make a weak nation.
  Dreamers, farmworkers, and keeping families together are an important 
and central part of the immigration debate, which is a very broad 
debate that includes other topics.
  We all agree that the border should be safer. How is it that we 
cannot agree and come to a consensus that Dreamers and farmworkers are 
important and that families must be kept together?

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