[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1117-1118]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  DACA

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it was 16 years ago when I introduced the 
DREAM Act. The DREAM Act was a response to a call I received in my 
office. A young woman had been brought to the United States as an 
infant, at the age of 2, from Korea. She lived in the United States and 
grew up here. When she became an accomplished pianist and was accepted 
at some of the best musical schools in the Nation, she started to apply 
but didn't know what to put down in terms of her citizenship. She 
called and asked, and it turned out that her mom and dad had never 
filed the papers that would have allowed her to become a citizen of the 
United States. She was undocumented. Through no fault of her own--
brought to the United States--her papers weren't filed.
  She grew up in Chicago, went to school, and did well, despite having 
a family of modest means. As I said, she developed a skill as a pianist 
and now had an opportunity of a lifetime and wanted to know what her 
legal status was. We checked the law, and it was pretty clear. She was 
undocumented, and the laws of America said you have to leave for 10 
years, go outside of the United States, and petition to come back.
  It didn't seem fair or reasonable that a child, an infant of 2, would 
be held responsible for mistakes made by their parents, so I introduced 
the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act said that if you are one of those kids and 
you finish school and you don't have a serious criminal record, we will 
give you a chance--a chance to become legal in America, a chance to 
become a citizen.
  Those kids grew up going to school in our classrooms, pledging 
allegiance to that same flag we pledge allegiance to. They believed 
they were Americans, but it was not so in the eyes of American law.
  I introduced this bill 16 years ago. It passed the Senate in one 
form, the House in another. It has never become the law of the land. A 
few years ago I wrote to President Obama and said: As President, can 
you find a way to protect these young people until we do what we are 
supposed to do in Congress?
  He did. He created something called DACA. By Executive order, these 
young people could apply, pay about $500 in a filing fee, go through a 
criminal background check, and if they had no problems--no threat to 
this country--be allowed to stay here on a temporary 2-year basis. They 
could go to school but with no Federal help, no Federal assistance for 
their education. They could work and renew it every 2 years. That is 
DACA.
  Over 750,000 kids signed up. These were kids just like the one I 
described earlier--now young people who are going to college and doing 
important

[[Page 1118]]

things with their lives. I have come to the floor over 100 times to 
tell their stories because political speeches, as inspiring as they 
are, usually don't move people. When you hear about these people and 
who they are, it can make a difference.
  I want to introduce one today. It will just take a few minutes. I see 
a couple of my colleagues on the floor.
  This is Belsy Garcia Manrique. When Belsy was 7 years old, she was 
brought by her family to the United States from Guatemala. She grew up 
in a small town in Georgia and became an extraordinary student. She 
graduated third in her high school class with a perfect 4.0 grade point 
average.
  During high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society, 
was on the tennis team, and was a member of the mock trial team. She 
even earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She went on to attend Mercer 
University in Macon, GA, where she was a Presidential scholar for 4 
years. This award is given to students in the top 10 percent of their 
class.
  Belsy was a member of a number of academic honor societies and the 
premed club. She worked as a researcher in their biology department. 
She was a leader of her college's Habitat for Humanity chapter and 
worked as a resident assistant in the student dorms and a tutor for 
high school students.
  In 2013, Belsy graduated from Mercer University with a bachelor of 
science degree in biology, with minors in chemistry and math. She is 
now in her second year at the Loyola University Chicago School of 
Medicine. That is where I met her.
  Like many States across the country, my home State of Illinois faces 
a shortage of physicians in the inner cities and in the downstate rural 
communities. As a DACA student at Loyola medical school, Belsy has 
promised that after she graduates and becomes a doctor, she will work 
for several years in underserved areas in my home State of Illinois.
  Even with her busy medical school schedule, Belsy volunteers as a 
translator at Loyola medical clinic. She is a member of Viva la 
Familia, a group which educates families on healthy lifestyles, and she 
mentors undergraduate students who are interested in medical school.
  She wrote me a letter and said:

       DACA means the world to me. It has allowed me to continue 
     the arduous journey of becoming a physician, and without it, 
     I would not be where I am today. All I've ever wanted was the 
     opportunity to prove myself and to further my education so 
     that I can give back to those who need it the most. I am so 
     close to achieving my dreams and finally making a difference 
     in the community, but if DACA is repealed, those dreams might 
     never become reality.

  If DACA is eliminated, what happens to Belsy? If it is eliminated, 
she loses her right to legally work in the United States and may have 
to drop out of medical school, and that alone--the clinical experience 
in medical school--requires actually working. If she can't work, she 
can't pay for her education.
  Aside from State of Illinois financing opportunities, Belsy doesn't 
qualify for a penny in Federal assistance to go to medical school. It 
is an extraordinary hardship on these students, but they are so darned 
determined, they do it anyway.
  I have been encouraged recently because statements made by President 
Trump, as well as yesterday his press secretary and earlier in the day 
his chief of staff, lead me to believe that he understands the 
seriousness of this problem.
  Young people like Belsy, thousands of them across the United States, 
are simply asking for a chance to have a good life, to make this a 
better nation. We could use her. We could use her medical services and 
talents as a doctor in my State of Illinois, in the State of Texas, in 
the State of North Dakota, and virtually every State of the Union. Why 
would we want to lose a great potential doctor like her? We need her, 
and we need people like her.
  I hope my colleagues and President Trump will join me to continue the 
DACA program. I hope this administration will work with Congress to 
pass the BRIDGE Act, a bipartisan bill I have introduced with Senator 
Lindsey Graham to create a transition for those like Belsy, protected 
by DACA, so that until this Congress--as it should--passes 
comprehensive immigration reform, we would protect these young people 
from deportation.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cruz). The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed 
5 minutes to make comments but also that my colleague from North Dakota 
be allowed to make comments, as well, and that we be allowed to 
complete those comments prior to the afternoon recess.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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