On the recordJuly 24, 2012
Mr. President, 11 years ago, I introduced a bill called the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act is a piece of legislation that would give a select group of immigrant students who grew up in this country the chance to earn their citizenship if they were of good moral character and if they were prepared to serve in the military or complete at least 2 years of college. The young people who would be eligible for the DREAM Act came to be known as the DREAMers. These are young people brought to the United States as children and infants. They grew up in this country overcoming great obstacles. They will be our future doctors, our engineers, our teachers, our lawyers, our soldiers. They will make America a better nation. They didn't make the decision originally to come to this country; it was a decision made by their parents. If their parents were breaking the law in that decision, I don't believe their children should be held responsible. That is not the American way. As did the civil rights activists of past generations, the DREAMers are speaking out. They are telling their stories publicly, even though many of them know they risk deportation from the only country they have ever known as home. They have organized rallies and marches where they advocate for the DREAM Act, and they have declared their undocumented status.…
Source
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