In 2010, Durbin sent a bipartisan letter asking then-President Obama to stop the deportation of Dreamers—thirteen years ago this Sunday, President Obama responded by announcing the DACA program
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and lead author of the Dream Act, celebrated the upcoming 13th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and called on Congress to finally provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.
Twenty-four years ago, Durbin first introduced the Dream Act—bipartisan legislation that would give undocumented immigrants who grew up in this country a chance to become American citizens. In 2010, Durbin sent a letter, joined by the late Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), asking then-President Obama to stop the deportation of Dreamers. Thirteen years ago this Sunday, June 15, President Obama responded by announcing the DACA program. More than 835,000 Dreamers have since come forward and received DACA, which has allowed them to contribute more fully to their country as teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, and small business owners.
“I first introduced the Dream Act with Republican Senator Orrin Hatch in 2001—24 years ago,” Durbin said. “I’ve included it in many forms of legislation that comes to the Senate floor—repeatedly introduced it as an amendment over the years. I’ve never quite been able to reach the point where I could meet the 60-vote requirement to waive a filibuster or pass it in the House in the same year.”
Durbin continued, “The DACA program has protected nearly 835,000 Dreamers, many of whom have gone on to pursue higher education, purchase homes, start businesses, and make America a better country to live in. These young people, who grew up in this country alongside our own kids, went to school with them, stood up in the morning before class and pledged allegiance to that flag, believed that they were real Americans from the start, but not in the eyes of the law. DACA recipients have started families—37 percent have U.S. citizen children, and 935,000 U.S. citizens live with DACA holders… DACA recipients greatly contribute to our labor force. They are teachers, nurses, workers, doctors, and more. They boost our economy, providing nearly $16 billion to the U.S. economy each year.”
During his speech, Durbin told the story of Alondra O. Her story is the 149th Dreamer story Durbin has shared on the Senate floor.
Alondra was born in Mexico and moved to the Saint Louis metro area when she was just five years old. Alondra excelled academically. She became a member of the National Honor Society, and she was certified as a nurse assistant, a patient-care technician, and a phlebotomist, all by the time she graduated from high school.
Alondra’s dream was to become a full-time Registered Nurse. Despite the national nursing shortage, and her excellent qualifications, Alondra was unable to get a nursing license in her home state of Missouri, because state law prohibits DACA recipients from becoming nurses. But Alondra did not give up. Missouri’s loss became Illinois’ gain, and today, Alondra serves as an Emergency Department Registered Nurse in Alton, Illinois.
“Sadly, Alondra still lives in fear every day that all of her hard work will mean nothing if DACA is eliminated. She has lived in this country since she was five years old. She should not be forced to leave the only home she has ever known simply because Congress has failed to do its job and fix our broken immigration system. Alondra should be able to work in this critical field where we desperately need nurses, wherever her services are most needed and do so without fear of deportation,” Durbin said. “Unfortunately, there has been a relentless campaign to eliminate DACA and deport Dreamers. So the future for Alondra and other DACA recipients remains legally uncertain.”
Durbin concluded by calling on his colleagues to finally provide Dreamers a pathway to citizenship. Current DACA recipients are protected from deportation for now, but due to lawsuits by extreme MAGA Republicans, their fates are in the hands of a Republican-appointed judge who has repeatedly found DACA and other programs like it unlawful.
“More than 100,000 Dreamers have initial DACA applications that are still pending. They are in limbo… DACA was always intended to be a temporary program to give Congress time to pass a permanent solution,” Durbin said. “Now in their 13th year of waiting, it’s time for us to honor the Dreamers’ patience, act on our promises, and provide them with a pathway to citizenship… I’m going to continue to fight for the Dreamers—continue to fight for DACA. I urge my Republican colleagues, be thoughtful on the issue of immigration. Don’t penalize Alondra, this wonderful young woman who has worked so hard to become a registered nurse in my state of Illinois. Give her a chance to make America and my state a better place.”
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
The Dream Act was also included in the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill that Durbin coauthored as part of the “Gang of Eight”—made up of four Democrats and four Republicans. The 2013 bill passed the Senate on a strong bipartisan vote of 68-32, but the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives refused to consider it. Over the years, Senate Republicans have filibustered the Dream Act at least five times.
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