Mr. President, I rise to speak about the need to protect undocumented young people, commonly referred to as Dreamers, from deportation. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, or what is called DACA, was announced by President Obama in 2012 to solve an urgent need. Hundreds of thousands of young people brought to this country as children were at risk of being deported. They didn't take the action to come; their parents took the action to come and bring them. President Obama's Executive order temporarily protected these undocumented young people from deportation. DACA also provides the opportunity to obtain work permits and has made it possible for many young DACA beneficiaries to enroll in college. If Congress doesn't act now and pass a law, President Trump's decision to terminate this program will have devastating consequences for nearly 800,000 families across the United States, particularly those in California. This decision to end DACA without first ensuring that young people have legal protection is why we are demanding a vote on the Dream Act as soon as possible. DACA recipients deserve certainty now, not 6 months from now. These young people trusted our government, and it is time we stopped playing with their lives. The Dream Act, introduced by Senators Graham and Durbin, has been considered many times already by this Congress. It was most recently included in the comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate in 2013 with 68 votes.…
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