[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9939-9940]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    3RD ANNIVERSARY OF DACA PROGRAM

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about a constituent 
of mine. Ilse is a 23-year-old graduate of the University of Washington 
who works at the Seattle Children's Hospital and is studying to become 
a nurse. She has faced a lot of challenges in her 23 years, not the 
least of which was being diagnosed with cancer when she was a teenager, 
going through treatment, and working to put herself through college.
  And if the outstanding costs of cancer treatment weren't difficult 
enough for her, Ilse was brought to the United States by her mother 
when she was 6 months old as an undocumented immigrant, which makes 
navigating our health care system even harder.
  Ilse persevered through her cancer treatment. She worked her way 
through high school with an impressive list of extracurriculars and 
went on to earn a scholarship that eventually got her to the front 
steps of her dream school, the University of Washington.
  When I met Ilse in 2013, she told me that after 15 years of waiting 
for her petition to obtain a visa, she lost the opportunity to obtain 
legal residency when she turned 21 years old. But thanks to the 
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, she had a 
second chance. She said she doesn't know where she would be now without 
that second chance. She told me that DACA opened doors that were 
previously closed to her. And thanks to the increased certainty DACA 
brought and the amazing work ethic she has, Ilse was able to find jobs 
that helped pave her way through school.
  Today she is able to continue to pursue her dream of helping others 
as a nurse and building a life in Washington State, her home.
  I am pleased to report that Ilse has now been cancer free for over 14 
years. So while I rise to talk about Ilse, I also wish to celebrate 
DACA.
  Three years ago this week, Americans celebrated a historic step 
forward in protecting young, undocumented immigrants known as DREAMers, 
people such as Ilse. When DACA was enacted, the national dialogue on 
immigration policy forever changed. The administration announced that 
America is not a place that will deport someone who plays by the rules 
but through no fault of their own is an undocumented immigrant, someone 
who has known no other home than the United States, someone who is an 
American in all but name. This was a major step toward changing the 
lives of so many immigrant families.
  During the past 3 years, more than 600,000 young immigrants have 
benefited from deferred action. In my home State of Washington, almost 
15,000 DREAMers have been able to receive the stability and peace of 
mind that DACA brought.
  Too often in this debate, it is difficult for some people to 
understand that millions of undocumented families in our country are 
already an important part of our community. Immigrants--documented or 
not--work hard. They send their children to schools throughout this 
country. They pay their taxes, and they help weave the fabric of our 
society. In all but name, they are Americans, and America would not be 
the same without them.
  Despite the steps this administration has taken, only legislation 
from Congress can solve the underlying problem of a very broken 
immigration system.
  So I am here today to say I stand ready to work with my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle to achieve that. Until Congress truly passes 
comprehensive immigration reform, I am going to continue working each 
day to help the families and businesses--people such as Ilse--that are 
trapped by a broken system.
  We must never forget the past and the fact that our Nation has long 
offered generations of immigrants a chance to achieve their dreams. 
Ilse is no different.

[[Page 9940]]

  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.

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