American Dream and Promise Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank our chair, our leadership, and, particularly, Nancy Pelosi for making sure that this bill was a priority bill.

For me, I have dedicated a great part of my life in public service to helping immigrants who come to the United States in search of a prosperous and dignified life.

Today, I am honored to participate in this historic day in the House of Representatives.

Since 2001, when the DREAM Act was first conceived, Dreamers have waited.

In 2012, DACA enabled eligible young adults to work lawfully, attend school, and contribute to society without the constant fear of deportation.

DACA, however, does not provide a path to citizenship, and it leaves out a huge number of deserving Dreamers.

Now, in 2019, they are still waiting. They are Americans in waiting. Right now, Dreamers live in fear of being deported to countries they may never have known, don't remember, or don't know at all, countries with which they have little or no personal connection.

And, because of their status, most Dreamers have never left the United States, never having had the opportunity to know their places of origin and never knowing any other place to call home other than the American communities in which they grew up. Some don't even know another language other than English.

Opponents of this bill fail to realize that it is not just about the Dreamers. It is also their families that would be harmed by mass deportations. It is their employers who would lose key members of their workforce. It is their communities who would lose vital members of their community.

It bears repeating: Dreamers are American in every way except on paper. In their hearts, in their minds, and in their souls, they are Americans. They are Americans in waiting.

Many have been in this country for decades, becoming business owners, employers, and homeowners.

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