On the recordJune 4, 2019
I thank my colleague for yielding and my colleagues who have brought this before us today. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the American Dream and Promise Act. As a teen, Daniella had a dream, a dream to be a lawyer. Her grandmother had brought her here from Venezuela when she was a small child, from a place she barely knew and never returned to. Daniella learned English, made friends, studied hard, and became an honors student. When she applied for a college scholarship, she learned for the first time a family secret: she was undocumented. Disqualified from this scholarship and with no money for college, Daniella was devastated. Then, in 2012, like for hundreds of thousands of young people, the doorway to opportunity opened. President Obama issued the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals order. Daniella enrolled in college and is now preparing for law school. Mr. Speaker, today is a day that walls come down and we show the world that dreams like Daniella's can come true.
