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Congresswoman DeLauro remarks on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

July 21, 2017

Fair Haven, CT (July 21, 2017)—The following is the text of remarks as prepared for delivery by Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03) at a roundtable discussion on local community perspectives on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy (DACA):

I am grateful to the Fair Haven Community Health Center for hosting us this morning, and for all you do to provide healthcare services to DREAMers in our community. And to the DREAMers who are with us today—thank you for making your voices heard and for sharing your stories.

Earlier this year, the Trump Administration announced its decision to abandon DAPA—Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents. While DAPA had not yet taken effect, this sends a clear message about the Trump Administration's priorities.

President Trump has not yet fully decided about the future of DACA, but on Wednesday, his staff suggested that he would reject the bipartisan Senate DREAM Act if it came to his desk.

The same states that challenged DAPA in court and drove the Administration to abandon the program have threatened to do the same for DACA. Given the states' ultimatum that the Trump Administration must deny support to DACA by September or they will file suit, it is fair to say that DACA is in a very precarious position—we need to remain vigilant and fight back.

In the Congress, I am fighting for you. Last week, the House committee that funds the government, on which I am a senior Democrat, successfully attached an amendment that protects DREAMers from discrimination for government jobs and jobs at government owned firms. I intend to fight to make sure that this protection makes it into the final bill when it is voted on later this year.

The Administration's anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions are causing millions of families unspeakable pain. This is happening in every community across the country, including ours. I want to share a letter I received from one of my office's most dedicated interns a week after last year's election.

This young man was such a positive force in my office—he took on tasks with a smile, had an insatiable appetite for learning about our government, and was one of the finest interns my office has seen.

I was proud to have him be one of the first people our constituents interacted with when they contacted the office. But a week after the election, this young man left his internship. I received the following letter, which I will read in its entirety, because he tells his own story better than I ever could:

Dear Representative DeLauro: I was honored to intern in your Washington office and learn more about the government of the United States, and more specifically responding to constituents' concerns. Walking through the long tunnels that connect the congressional buildings to the Capitol I began to envision myself working in the District of Columbia upon graduation. But like for many people, the election results have forced me to take a different path. After the presidential election, all the stability that had allowed my family and me to become part of the American life was turn into fear and doubt about our future. Not only has the President-Elect vow to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, but he also promised to remove the DACA program. For this reason, I had to return to New Haven and assist my family as we figure out which decisions are the best to take moving forward. Thus, I am sorry to inform you that I will no longer be able to continue my internship in your Washington DC office. I want to express that while I am in constant fear questioning whether I will be able to complete my undergraduate degree, or if my US-citizen sister will be separated from us, I am not giving in. My best memory working in your office was running into an old employer who came to the office for a Capitol Tour. Reflecting on the aspirations I had working as a busser to get myself through high school, I remember your persona always providing me with hope. That hope has grown exponentially as I reminisce on the times you walked into the office and greeted all your interns with such gratitude and enthusiasm.

This is a bright young man dedicated to public service. Now he is a young man questioning his future—and the future of his family. I know many of you are as well.

This story breaks my heart—but it also makes me furious. President Trump's actions are not just anti-immigrant: they are anti-American. Most of our families—including my own—came to this country as immigrants. Mine came from Italy. Our country is made richer by immigrants—we have always welcomed men, women and children to our shores so that they can build a better life and build a stronger nation.

Today, I am here to listen. I am very interested in hearing your perspectives so that I am better equipped to fight you and for our values in the House of Representatives. There is so much work to do, and I am looking forward to hearing from all of you.