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American Dream and Promise Act of 2019

Floor Speech

Date: June 4, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Immigration

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Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler and Chairwoman Lofgren for their leadership on this important bill. This moment has been years in the making, thanks in no small part to the advocates, the allies, and the young people who fought hard for their right to stay in a country that they call and consider home.

Let me be clear, the American Dream and Promise Act is not perfect, but there is a lot of good in it. This is a big step forward.

That is why I offered amendments to, first, prohibit juvenile adjudications from being used to determine a public safety risk, and, two, to eliminate all references to gang databases or presumed gang affiliation from H.R. 6. It didn't make it, but it is still a great compromise.

We cannot afford to turn our backs now. We must pass H.R. 6 today, a significant precedent by the House of Representatives to create a pathway to citizenship for millions.

Mr. Speaker, I thank everyone responsible for their contributions to this piece of immigration reform.

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