Recognizing the 7th Annual Dominicans on the Hill Day

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 7th Annual Dominicans on the Hill event which will be held tomorrow. It is a time for all participants to celebrate the contributions of Dominican Americans throughout the country.

In fact, we have today in the gallery the Honorable Ricardo de los Santos Polanco, who is the president of the Dominican Senate, and Alfredo Pacheco, who is the president of the house. They will be with us for the next couple of days, and I want to extend the courtesies of the House so that all of us can attend this wonderful event that is being held for the seventh year in a row. Protecting Dreamers, Families, and Farmworkers

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Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Dreamers, farmworkers, and families. Much has been said about the immigration issues at the border. I think what has not been said is the fact that we all want to make sure that the border is more secure. There is no disagreement in that.

We can work together to make the border safer, safer for children, for families, for women, for grandparents and for the communities, the border communities that many of our Members and colleagues represent. We should work together to make sure that the border is safer.

However, Mr. Speaker, there is a reality in the Nation, and that is that Dreamers are young people that are teachers and nurses. They are part of our communities. They own their homes. Many of them have their own businesses. Yet, they haven't been given the opportunity to be a full part of America.

Dreamers have been, on the average, in the United States for about 20 years. They have lived here. Many of them pay taxes. They haven't committed any crimes. They play by the rules. They stay within the parameters of the law. Yet, we have failed to allow them to be fully part of this American experience. We should work very hard to ensure that Dreamers are given that opportunity. In fact, 80 percent of Americans feel that Dreamers should be given that opportunity.

Farmworkers, Mr. Speaker, we all know many of them aren't going to work because they are afraid they are going to be deported. In fact, 40 percent of farmworkers are undocumented, and they are not showing up at the farms. That will show up at our cash register. That will show up at our dinner table.

Farmers are also a sector of the immigrant community that we should help. Prices will come down. They will be able to go to work, and we will get greater goods in our houses, in our grocery stores, and in our supermarkets.

Dreamers and farmers are an important part of the immigration equation that often are left out. You would think that the only part of the immigration debate is the border. We all agree that the border should be safer.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, families should be kept together. The average immigrant family has been here in the country for over 10 years. Families, if they are divided, or if a young boy or a young girl is taken away from his or her mother, that family will be weaker, and as such, our Nation will be weaker.

The equation is simple. Weak families make a weak nation. Separated families become weak families, and as such, make a weak nation.

Dreamers, farmworkers, and keeping families together are an important and central part of the immigration debate, which is a very broad debate that includes other topics.

We all agree that the border should be safer. How is it that we cannot agree and come to a consensus that Dreamers and farmworkers are important and that families must be kept together?

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