Juan Vargas: “I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding. I rise today on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Dreamers.…”

“I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding. I rise today on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Dreamers. Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard arguments over the future of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or, as you heard, DACA recipients. This decision will determine whether nearly 800,000 Dreamers will lose their legal protections to live and work in the United States. The average DACA recipient came to the U.S. as a young child and has called our country their home for nearly 20 years. Denying their legal rights or rescinding the promise made to them 7 years ago would be immoral and wrong. They are students, teachers, first responders, entrepreneurs, and community organizers who make our country stronger and contribute to it every day. Approximately 27,000 DACA recipients are currently employed as healthcare workers and support staff. Rescinding DACA would be a direct threat to the public health, as we heard from our colleague, Dr. Ruiz. We rely on these people. So, at this moment, it would be a disaster to not give them the legal status they need to remain in our country. DACA recipients and their households hold a combined $24.1 billion in spending power each year. In addition, DACA recipients boost Social Security and Medicare through payroll taxes. Many DACA recipients have completed high school, entered 4-year colleges and universities, and graduated.…”