Durbin Shares Story Of DACA Recipient Attending Loyola University Chicago's Medical School
With just 17 days until the short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security expires, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) came to the Senate Floor today to urge Senate Republicans to abandon efforts to play politics with the lives of young people impacted by immigration policies like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). During his speech, Durbin shared the story of Johana Mejias, who is currently enrolled at Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine -- the first medical school in the country to openly accept DACA recipients. Johana has been able to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor because of the creation of the DACA program.
Johana Mejias was brought to the United States from Venezuela when she was a child. She grew up in Boulder, Colorado. Johana played on her high school softball team, played viola in the orchestra, and dreamed of becoming a doctor. In 2011, Johana graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a double major in Molecular, Cellular, and Development Biology, and Psychology-Neuroscience. After graduating from college, Johana was unable to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, because she was undocumented. When DACA was established by President Obama in 2012, Mejias began medical school at Loyola University Chicago. After she graduates she has committed to stay in Illinois to practice in medically-underserved communities.
"Isn't that an amazing story? That a young girl would come here, realize she was undocumented, fight her way through to a bachelor's degree in these challenging subjects, continuing to keep alive the dream that maybe -- just maybe -- something will happen to give her a chance to become a doctor," Durbin said. "What an amazing story -- an amazing story that will come to a bitter end if the Republicans have their way on this bill. The Republican answer to Johana -- after all of her life's work and all of her dreams fulfilled -- is "leave America'. They are prepared to deport her and 600,000 just like her."
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