Durbin Stands With Dreamers, DACA Recipients As Oral Arguments Begin In Texas V. US
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals case is the latest attack by anti-immigrant extremists to threaten the future of DACA, which would leave hundreds of thousands of families in limbo, and gut our workforce and economy
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act, released the following statement as oral arguments begin in Texas v. U.S., which challenges the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals:
“The American people will see the same playbook from anti-immigrant extremists today that they’ve seen for years. These extremists want to eliminate the DACA program and instill fear in Dreamers. Let’s be clear: DACA is lawful, humane, and effective, protecting more than 830,000 young people who grew up in America and pledged allegiance to the same flag. The Fifth Circuit must uphold the program.
“While the playbook may be the same, the stakes are higher now than ever before. With leading Republicans calling for ‘mass deportation’ and peddling lies about immigrants, ending DACA would be a clear step towards a broader, anti-immigrant plan that runs contrary to everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants.
“I will always stand up for Dreamers. These young people have lived in America since they were children, built their lives here, and are American in every way except for their immigration status. I urge my Republican colleagues to join Democrats and finally pass the Dream Act to create a permanent pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and DACA recipients.”
Durbin has been a champion for immigration reform for years. In 2010, Durbin sent a bipartisan letter asking then-President Obama to stop the deportation of Dreamers. President Obama responded by announcing DACA, which has kept families together and survived relentless attacks for more than twelve years now.
More than 830,000 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. Durbin has shared 145 of their stories on the Senate floor. In May, Durbin chaired a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee entitled “Dream Deferred: The Urgent Need to Protect Immigrant Youth,” highlighting the importance of statutory protections for Dreamers.
While fighting to shield DACA from attacks by anti-immigrant extremists, Durbin continues to push for passage of his Dream Act, which would create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and DACA recipients. The Dream Act was 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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