American Dream and Promise Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to talk about our Dreamers, the precious resource we have in our country. But, of course, unfortunately, what we are hearing is as much fear-mongering as possible from our Republican colleagues about immigrants.

My name was mentioned, and the minority leader chose to come into my safe and secure community earlier this week to use my community as a prop, so I need to respond.

In 2019, Mr. Speaker, I led codels to El Paso and brought nearly 20 percent of Congress to my community. I invited everyone. I stood in the well and invited Republicans, Democrats, everyone. Only Democrats took me up on my offer to see the entire picture. Not just law enforcement, but to meet with advocates, attorneys, everyone who makes up the system of immigration on the border. Not a single Republican attended.

Last session, we, as a Congress, passed a number of bills, including supplemental bills, to address what was happening on the border and to address immigration. No Republicans supported our effort.

Last week, when I learned the minority leader was coming into my community, I sent him a letter, invited him to meet with everyone who was available to help give him the full picture. He refused.

Their strategy is the same strategy they have employed with COVID: Do nothing.

We will finally address this. I rise to support our Dreamers and H.R. 6.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Dreamers across the country. These are young people who have lived in the United States for the majority of their lives; they already call the United States home and are citizens in all but name.

The Dream and Promise Act creates a path to citizenship for those who were brought to the United States as children. They're people who have lived their entire lives as members of our communities and just want the opportunity to become citizens of the country where they grew up, go to school, and work. Which makes our communities safer and stronger.

This bill provides strict guidance for earning citizenship and recipients are required to meet the standards and specifications of the program in order to maintain their status.

When a parent makes the harrowing decision to take their child and leave their home behind, it's so that their child might have a better life. Like a lot of our grandparents and great-grandparents, they're coming to the United States for the opportunity to live the American Dream.

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