[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9385-9386]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD 
                       ARRIVALS (DACA) INITIATIVE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 16, 2017

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, five years ago, on June 15, 2012, 
President Obama signed the DACA initiative radically changing the lives 
of thousands of young immigrants by giving them the opportunity to earn 
degrees, legalize their status and be able to openly contribute their 
talents to make our country a better place.
  President Obama's DACA allows thousands of young people the 
opportunity to dream of a better place, a safer home, and a brighter 
and more prosperous future.
  Immigrants in our nation are now under siege by a divisive and 
misguided political rhetoric that dehumanizes their immigrant 
experiences by relying on hateful stereotypes.
  As the DACA program and its beneficiaries come under attack, we must 
work together to responsibly reform our broken immigration system to 
ensure that families in immigrant communities can live in this nation 
freely and without fear.
  According to the Migration Policy Institute, over 68,000 people in 
Harris County benefit from the DACA initiative.

[[Page 9386]]

  DACA beneficiaries and immigrants live among us; they are our 
neighbors, our family members, our classmates, and our friends.
  Mr. Speaker, Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the nation 
and immigrants are essential to create Houston's beautiful mosaic of 
diversity that makes it one of the most dynamic and vibrant cities in 
America.
  America is a land of opportunity for those who are willing to work 
hard and abide by the laws.
  We must assure that DACA beneficiaries continue to enjoy the 
opportunity to pursue their American dreams.
  We are a better country for doing so.

                          ____________________