[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 8976-8977]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        DACA 4-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I wish to speak on this fourth 
anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, 
DACA, for all of the young men and young women it has helped bring out 
of the shadows--young men and woman who came to this country as 
children and, because of DACA, have had the security of temporary 
deportation relief and work authorization so they could achieve their 
full potential as young Americans.
  I celebrate DACA's anniversary with great pride and tremendous hope. 
For years, I pushed hard to make this program a reality.
  I have spoken directly--and frankly--to the President many times 
about granting long-overdue administrative relief to DREAMers, who are 
Americans in every way except for a piece of paper.
  And 4 years ago, with the tireless advocacy of DREAMers and the power 
of their individual stories, with the help of the immigrant community, 
community leaders in cities and towns across America, and countless 
Members of Congress, the President took action and changed the lives of 
thousands of young men and women, allowing them to fully contribute to 
the country they call home--the only country they have ever known. DACA 
recipients are part of our communities in all 50 States.
  New Jersey ranks ninth in the Nation, with over 34,000 approved DACA 
applications. These young people have been granted the most important 
thing they could have: the peace of mind that comes with temporary 
protection from deportation and the ability to work and contribute.
  Since its inception, DACA has harnessed their talents in measurable 
ways and is a success today because of the President's bold Executive 
actions in June of 2012. In an immigration system as flawed as ours, 
DACA has been a beacon of hope, one shining light leading the way 
toward fairness, justice, and a better life for so many immigrants 
looking for a chance to succeed in America as Americans.
  The numbers tell the story. DACA has been granted to approximately 
728,000 young immigrants. It has strengthened our economy. A survey by 
the National Immigration Law Center and the Center for American 
Progress found that after obtaining DACA, more than two-thirds of 
recipients were able to secure a job with higher pay and their wages 
rose by an average of 45 percent.
  Higher wages are not just good for DACA recipients, but for all 
Americans; it stimulates economic growth and translates into more tax 
revenue.
  DACA has allowed young Americans to open bank accounts, get a 
driver's license, go to college, and prepare for a stable, economically 
secure, and financially solvent future for themselves and their 
families.
  There is no question in my mind--and the numbers prove it--that DACA 
has been a model of success, and that success has been shaped by the 
courageous young men and women who decided to come forward, register 
with the government, subject themselves to a background check, work 
hard, and take advantage of every single opportunity that DACA 
provides.
  These young men and women and their families represent who we are as 
a nation. They embody the spirit of American life, which has always 
been shaped by the hopes, dreams, and courage of those who have made 
this country their home.
  In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, DACA allows these 
young people to live with dignity and without the fear of deportation--
the fear of being separated from their families. Now, they are our 
newest college students, teachers, and small business owners.
  So here we are--with the perspective of 4 years of DACA success, 4 
years of dreams fulfilled, potential reached--and proof that all of 
America benefits when an undocumented individual steps out of the 
shadows--proof that, when we give people a chance, they can make it on 
their own ingenuity, skill, and hard work, and they will not only 
contribute to the economy, but to the strength of America.
  With the lessons of 4 years of DACA, it should be clear that we need 
to build upon DACA's success, not turn our backs on extending fair 
opportunities to those who are willing to work hard for them.
  For many, the dream began with DACA. For others, the dream remains 
only a dream, delayed because of the politically motivated lawsuit of 
U.S. v. Texas. A case which has blocked the President's more recent 
Executive actions, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Legal 
Permanent Residents, DAPA, and expanded DACA from being implemented.
  These new programs provide temporary relief from deportation and a 
work permit to parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent resident 
children and a larger group of DREAMers.
  The case is currently before the Supreme Court, and we expect the 
Court to issue a decision this month.
  I attended oral arguments on April 18 and remain hopeful that the 
Justices will see through the hate and the political theater, and that 
it will be clear that our Nation governs by its values, that we favor 
building bridges instead of walls.
  And I am not alone in that hope. I was joined by 224 Members of 
Congress in filing an amicus brief outlining the legality and 
importance of implementing the President's DAPA and expanded DACA 
programs.
  We felt the need to show our support for the President's actions 
while pushing back against the jingoism, isolationism, and xenophobia 
of those who insist on leaving millions of families, millions of 
parents of U.S. children stuck in the shadows.
  With this case, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to do something 
positive: to provide temporary relief from deportation and a work 
permit to almost 4 million parents of U.S. citizens and lawful 
permanent residents.

[[Page 8977]]

  It would allow the current DACA program to be expanded to benefit 
almost 300,000 more DREAMers. Combined, these programs would help 
almost 5 million immigrants waiting for a chance to come out of the 
shadows.
  And we know, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, DAPA 
and expanded DACA have one dramatic impact that cannot be denied: They 
give young people and their parents the peace of mind every family 
deserves--to be able to build their lives together.
  It is my sincere hope that the politics of what is happening in this 
lawsuit and with the immigration rhetoric in general will be abundantly 
clear to the Supreme Court and we will have a positive ruling that 
allows expanded DACA and DAPA to move forward, bring some order, and 
keep hard-working families together.
  I believe the Supreme Court will agree that the President's Executive 
actions are within his legal authority, that they represent the very 
best of American values and a fundamental respect for family unity. 
This is a pivotal legal battle over what amounts to the basic humanity 
of American immigration policy. I am not exaggerating when I say that 
people's lives and families are at stake.
  It is personal. I have spoken to police chiefs, teachers, religious 
leaders, moms and dads, and U.S. citizen children, and it is clear that 
these policies are just and humane to keep these families together.
  Ultimately, the only way to fix our broken immigration system is for 
Congress to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. I will continue 
to fight for comprehensive immigration reform that will fix our 
Nation's broken immigration system once and for all, not just because 
it makes good economic sense, but because it is the right thing to do--
because we are a nation of immigrants.
  DACA's success should further encourage Congress to move forward, 
fortified by the conviction that comprehensive immigration reform is a 
fight worth fighting for.
  But today I join my colleagues in commemorating DACA's anniversary as 
a day that marks 4 years of smart and successful policy, as a step in 
the right direction, and as a foundation upon which we can continue to 
build. The foundation that the Supreme Court should look to when ruling 
on DAPA and expanded DACA.
  Let's work to extend the American Dream to all.

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