DACA has Given a Lifeline to Dreamers

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 3-year anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also called DACA. Roughly 800,000 DREAMers across the country are able to work and go to school because of DACA. All these aspiring Americans want is to be able to contribute meaningfully to our society, and DACA has given them a lifeline to do that.

I want to mark this occasion by sharing two stories of DREAMers in my district whose lives DACA has transformed. Johana Mejias is a young woman who came to the U.S. from Venezuela. She grew up in Boulder and attended CU, where she was an exceptional student. During high school, she wasn't able to participate in leadership conferences because of difficulty traveling within the U.S., and after college her lack of status initially prevented her from sitting for the medical school exam and participating in medical internships. Luckily DACA provided relief for Johana, and I am proud to say that she is currently in medical school.

Marco Dorado is another young man in my district who attended CU. Marco came to the U.S. when he was 2 years old. DACA has provided a lifeline to Marco, enabling him to attend college and earn a degree in finance. He also served in student government as a tri-executive and president of external affairs.

DACA has been a catalyst for so many aspiring Americans, but only Congress can fix our broken immigration system. I call on us to do so.

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