U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the urgent need for Congress to pass legal protections fornoncitizens who were brought to the United States as children, known as Dreamers, especially as President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on an immigration platform of “mass deportations.”
Durbin said, “I rise today to again discuss one of my top priorities throughout my Senate career: fixing our broken immigration system. As the son of an immigrant from Lithuania, my personal story exemplifies the experience of immigrants in this country and just how far the American Dream can take you when you are afforded the opportunity. That is one reason why, 23 years ago, I introduced the Dream Act together with Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who was then the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This bipartisan legislation was very simple. It provided a pathway to citizenship for young immigrants who were brought to the United States as infants, toddlers, and children, allowing them to remain legally in this country—the only home they ever knew.”
In 2010, Durbin sent a letter, joined by the late Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), asking then-President Obama to stop the deportation of Dreamers. Twelve years ago, President Obama responded by announcing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. More than 830,000 Dreamers have since come forward and received DACA, which has allowed them to contribute more fully to this country as teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, small business owners, and more.
The Dream Act was also included in the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill that Durbin coauthored as part of the “Gang of Eight”—made up of four Democrats and four Republicans. The 2013 bill passed the Senate on a strong bipartisan vote of 68-32, but the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives refused to consider it. Over the years, Senate Republicans have filibustered the Dream Act at least five times.
During his speech, Durbin pledged to advocate for Dreamers no matter who the President is.
Durbin continued, “Unfortunately, we have made little progress since [2013]. And today, as we hear dangerous rhetoric from the President-elect about immigration, I worry for immigrants and for the future of our country. We can all agree that any undocumented immigrant found guilty of a serious crime should never be allowed to stay here. But the last time the President-elect was in office, it wasn’t just criminals who were deported. We saw parents separated from their young children… And we saw Dreamers, veterans, and spouses of U.S. citizens deported. They were not criminals—many of them were pillars of their communities.”
Durbin announced that next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing focused on the chaos and cruelty that President-elect Trump’s mass deportations could wreck on our communities and our country. Durbin then shared his 147th Dreamer story on the Senate floor, featuring a young woman who could be a victim of President-elect Trump’s plan.
Durbin said, “This young woman’s name is Dulce Martinez, and she is better known by her students as Ms. Martinez. She was brought to the United States from Puebla, Mexico, when she was 14 years old. As a child, she loved school and dreamed of becoming a computer teacher. But when a college counselor told her that she wasn’t eligible for college, even with good grades, she was crushed. She felt hopeless and dropped out of school. It wasn’t until Ms. Martinez started working that she realized her education meant too much to throw away. The skills she was learning on the job helped her realize just how valuable an education was. She enrolled at The Borough of Manhattan Community College [BMCC] to finish her high school credits.”
Durbin continued, “She was able to obtain DACA, which allowed her to continue her studies at BMCC, where she received an associate’s degree in early childhood education. She graduated with honors. Ms. Martinez went on to serve as a BMCC mentor and employee, focusing on advocacy for immigrant and undocumented students. She also served on the City University of New York Women’s Centers Council. Today, Ms. Martinez has her dream job as Lead Teacher at a Head Start preschool in Brooklyn. She is pursuing a master’s degree in early childhood education and conducting fieldwork in early education. The proud mother of four, Ms. Martinez uses her own life experiences to educate and inspire young people. She is the embodiment of the American Dream.”
Durbin concluded his speech by urging his colleagues to act on comprehensive immigration reform.
“I urge my colleagues to meet with these Dreamers [like Ms. Martinez]… These young people are ready and willing to help make America better,” said Durbin. “Dreamers like Dulce Martinez have earned the right to put down roots, raise families, further their education, and continue contributing to our society without the threat of deportation hanging over their heads. It is time for Congress to get to work on a bipartisan basis, to defy the so-called experts, and pass the Dream Act and immigration reform. It’s the right thing to do—and it is long overdue.”
Since President Obama established the DACA program, Republicans have waged a relentless campaign to overturn DACA and deport these Dreamers back to countries they do not even remember. In September 2023, a federal judge in Texas declared the DACA program unlawful. Though the decision left in place protections for current DACA recipients while the appeal is pending in the Fifth Circuit, they live in fear that the next court decision will upend their lives. The litigation has also prevented at least 500,000 additional Dreamers from registering for the program.
During his first term, then-President Trump tried to shut down the DACA program, but his effort was blocked by the Supreme Court. Now, President-elect Trump has pledged to pursue a mass deportation campaign. During his speech, Durbin stated that he is willing to work with anyone, including President-elect Trump, to pass legislation to give Dreamers like Ms. Martinez a path to citizenship.
