Political Quotes

“Mr. President, 15 years ago Senator Dick Durbin introduced the DREAM Act in the U.S. Senate. This legislation provided a path to citizenship for young people brought to the U.S. as children. These young people call themselves DREAMers. And they are as American as you or me. They belong to this country culturally and linguistically and are American in all but paperwork. For many of them, this is the only country they have ever known. In 2010, the DREAM Act passed the House and came to the Senate for a vote. Sadly, Republicans killed the bill--eliminating the hopes and dreams of hundreds of thousands of DREAMers. Because Republicans refused to act, it was up to President Obama. In 2011, I joined 21 other Senators in asking President Obama to grant deferred action to immigrant youth who would have qualified under the DREAM Act and who are not an enforcement priority. And in 2012, President Obama's administration did just that. They announced that young people who were brought to the United States as children could apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA. This brought nearly 800,000 young people out of the shadows. These young men and women are our newest college students, teachers, engineers, and small business owners. They contribute to our communities and make America better. In Nevada alone, DACA has helped over 12,000 DREAMers--DREAMers like Brenda Romero.…”