Below are Statements from House Representatives about DACA Continued from page 1. (Check back for updates on this page)
House Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL, 5th)
“Today, the President has once again proven that his policy towards immigrants is rooted solely in prejudice. Ending DACA is unnecessary and unjustifiable, with over 800,000 DREAMers living in America and contributing to its growth and success. These immigrants came here as young children in search of the values and ideals our nation was founded upon – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Like all people living in this great country, DREAMers are striving to obtain their own American Dream.
“In addition to not caring about the reprehensible moral consequences of subjecting DREAMers to possible deportation, he is also ignoring the devastating economic impact his decision will have. Despite promises to grow the economy, repealing DACA would reduce our national GDP by $433 billion over the next ten years.
“Through this decision, Trump has made it clear that he is not a president for everyone and will continue to prioritize pandering to his base instead of representing the diverse population that makes America great. Additionally, it is no surprise that he recently took to Twitter to shift responsibility for execution of his plan to Congress; and until legislation moves forward, Democrats will hold Republican leadership accountable. We must embrace and elevate our American values, and that starts with protecting the most vulnerable amongst us.”
Rep. Quigley is a strong champion of DACA and an ardent supporter of the need to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Last week, he met with five DREAMers from his district to hear their stories, ambitions, and fears surrounding DACA repeal. In March, Rep. Quigley spoke on the House Floor condemning President Trump for baselessly blaming undocumented immigrants for gun violence in Chicago. Earlier this year, he introduced two pieces of immigration-focused legislation to protect sanctuary cities from having their federal funds withheld and to improve relationships between local law enforcement and immigrants.
House Representative John Ratcliffe (R-TX, 4th)
“I support President Trump’s decision to end an unconstitutional program that was created through President Obama’s abuse of executive authority. My very first action as a member of Congress was raising one hand, placing the other on the Bible, and taking an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Obama’s constitutional overreach and abuse of the separation of powers has been struck down by the courts before, and I believe DACA would be no different. The constituents I’m privileged to represent want our immigration laws properly enforced and our borders secured. I remain committed to delivering upon those goals for them.”
House Representative David G. Reichert (R-WA, 8th)
“Children who were brought here by no fault of their own see America as their country and their home,” said Rep. Reichert. “They are our friends, neighbors, colleagues, spouses, and honored members of the military willing to sacrifice their life for our freedom. Punishing these individuals who have contributed so much to our communities and for a crime they did not commit is not in the American DNA. We are a caring, compassionate people and we in Congress must work toward a long-term immigration solution that is fair, respects the dignity of families, and allows all individuals to pursue the American dream.”
Rep. Reichert has supported initiatives to protect the children who came to the United States by no fault of their own and know America as their home. Earlier this year, he cosponsored the Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act, a bipartisan bill which allows individuals who meet the standards of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to remain in the United States without fear of deportation for a period of three years while Congress works toward a more permanent solution. In March, Rep. Reichert cosponsored a bill to provide that solution for these individuals - the Recognizing America’s Children (RAC) Act, which gives DACA participants a chance to earn a legal status. Additionally, he cosponsored the Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training (ENLIST) Act, which allows undocumented immigrants who served in the Armed Forces to become lawful permanent residents and apply for citizenship.
House Representative Kathleen Rice (D-NY, 4th)
“President Trump’s decision to rescind DACA is a cruel and senseless mistake that Congress must immediately rectify,” said Representative Kathleen Rice. “Dreamers are Americans in every way but their paperwork, and forcing them to once again live in fear of deportation only serves to further divide our country and excite anti-immigrant extremists on the far right. Republicans in Congress who have spoken in support of DACA must now come together with Democrats and take action to ensure that Dreamers can continue to live and work and contribute to their communities without the constant threat of being deported from the only home they’ve ever known. Sending President Trump a bill to protect Dreamers is the least that we can do – and we should follow it by finally taking up comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship for all the millions of hard-working, law-abiding undocumented immigrants living in the shadows of American society.”
House Representative Mike (AL) Rogers (R-AL, 3rd)
“I applaud President Trump and Attorney General Sessions’ decision today to end the DACA program. Despite former President Obama’s reliance on executive orders to create unconstitutional immigrant amnesty programs, it is the Congress’ constitutional duty to write laws. Before considering any immigration reform, Congress should first pass legislation to fund the Border Wall. Only after securing the border, can Congress in good faith address immigration reform.”
House Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA, 48th)
President Obama created a legal headache and a public heartache by stepping far beyond his constitutional authority to protect the so-called “Dreamers” – those who were brought at a tender age to this country by parents who brazenly defied our immigration law.
However much we may sympathize with the hundreds of thousands of these children, many of whom have reached adulthood and have become “Americanized,” we in Congress must work to prevent such cynical loopholes from being created again by executive fiat. Those loopholes, make no mistake, incentivized the dangerous journeys of these families across our border.
Let’s be clear: Legalizing their status sent a message throughout the world that our doors were open to share all the benefits accorded American citizens. Many of those benefits came at the expense of already strapped taxpayers. These immigrants were good people who responded to a green light to enter our country. What they found, in too many cases, was a legal mishmash, the law mocked.
I applaud President Trump and Attorney General Sessions as they restore rigorous constitutional standards to the vexing issue of illegal immigration. As the president suggested, it is now up to Congress, and we must face the issue squarely and fearlessly.
House Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL, 27th)
"This decision by the administration to end DACA and shut down the dreams of young immigrants is heartbreaking, reckless and wrong. For too long, Dreamers have been living with fear and unable to plan for their futures. DACA was necessary to provide a migratory safe harbor and it is cruel to take away the opportunities to work and go to school currently afforded to them. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to find a permanent legislative solution that protects DREAMers so that our nation does not lose this treasure trove of young people who only truly know and love the United States as their home. I call on my Congressional colleagues to debate and vote on the DREAM Act that Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard and I have presented or on one of the many bills proposed, such as the RAC Act or BRIDGE Act, to help Dreamers achieve permanence and certainty."
House Representative Jacky Rosen (D-NV, 3rd)
“I am utterly appalled by President Trump’s heartless betrayal of DREAMers in Nevada and across the country. By inviting these young people to come out of the shadows, raise their hands, and make themselves known, the United States made a promise to those who came here as children. President Trump is now reneging on that promise, exploiting the trust DREAMers placed in their government to protect them from deportation from the only country they have ever known as home. These children, college students, servicemembers, and others were invited to come forward and are now being placed squarely in the crosshairs of President Trump’s deportation force. The White House should be ashamed of this cowardly decision. Now it is up to Congress to right his wrong and pass legislation that provides permanent relief to DREAMers so that they can continue to contribute to our country without fear of being kicked out of the country that they love.”
House Representative Keith Rothfus (R-PA, 12th)
“President Obama himself asserted that he did not have the authority to change our immigration laws unilaterally, but then illegally implemented DACA anyway in an election year ploy to rally his base,” said Congressman Rothfus. “The Trump Administration’s action to end this unconstitutional program restores the rule of law and allows Congress to reclaim its constitutional authority to set immigration policy. Immigration reform begins with securing our borders and establishing a functioning entry and exit system. We can then begin solving the challenges of our broken immigration system, including addressing the status of children who were brought here through no fault of their own by their parents.”
House Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA, 40th)
“The president’s action to end DACA in six months is outrageous. This is a heartbreaking day for our country, and for the bright young DACA recipients who know no home but America. Our country needs these young people and their talents more than ever to strengthen our economy and our society. President Trump’s decision to end DACA is cruel, destructive, and un-American. The United States is a nation built in large part by the contributions, innovations, and inventions of immigrants. The president’s action against DACA only weakens the United States.
“I will continue fighting in Congress to pass legislation that will permanently protect DACA recipients before the six months expire. That is why I have joined Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in introducing the DREAM Act of 2017, a bipartisan bill allowing U.S.-raised immigrant youth to earn lawful permanent residence and American citizenship. And it is why I have helped introduce the American Hope Act of 2017, which creates a path to permanent legal status and eventual citizenship for DACA recipients and all qualifying DREAMers brought to the US as children. I call on my fellow congressmembers to join me in supporting these bills, so that we may help these American youth continue to strengthen our country.”
House Representative Ed Royce (R-CA, 39th)
“The status of eligible DACA recipients should not change from one administration to the next. Congress should act now to provide a permanent, legislative solution that gives certainty to these kids. We should not deny residence to children who have only known America as their home, positively contributed to this great country, and passed a background check.”
House Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA, 36th)
“Ending DACA goes against the very core of our values as Americans. It threatens the future of hundreds of thousands of young people who have only ever known America as their home, and turns our back on students and young people in the workforce who contribute to our nation’s economy and culture. Rather than ending the DACA program and tearing families apart, we should instead work together towards comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our nation’s borders, keep our citizens safe, and improve our immigration system to strengthen our economy and live up to our nation’s values of hope, opportunity, and the American dream.”
House Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD, 2nd)
“President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program does little to solve the very real problems inherent in our current immigration system. We need to prioritize immigration enforcement to the few bad apples that endanger the otherwise law-abiding immigrant community, going after gang members and criminal aliens – a group of which DREAMers are not part. That is why I have always advocated for priority immigration enforcement, and it is why I oppose this move by the Trump administration.
Every single one of the more than 800,000 DREAMers in our country has a clean criminal record – it is a requirement of the program. DREAMers are expected to contribute $460.3 billion to our economy over the next ten years. America is the only place they call home and they contribute in immeasurable ways to the fabric of our great nation. To deport them would break up families, destroy the productive lives DREAMers have built in this country, and remove some of our most promising young people. This decision is not only inhumane, but also un-American.
In my time in Congress, I have sponsored legislation to create a pathway to citizenship. My office has sent multiple letters to the administration asking to uphold the DACA program. However, as I said when the DACA program was first introduced by President Obama, comprehensive immigration reform is the responsibility of Congress – not the President. For years now, the House has had plenty of opportunities to pass bipartisan legislation to address the problems in our immigration system, yet current leadership has refused to even bring it to the floor.
We cannot deport our way out of the complex challenges posed by immigration, nor can we fix them with a border wall. This is a clear wakeup call for my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, in Congress. It is long past time for both parties to come together to establish a permanent legislative solution to immigration, including a rigorous path to citizenship.”
House Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-IL, 1st)
"I am extremely disappointed in the Trump Administration’s decision to end DACA. We must remember that DACA participants were brought to the United States through no fault of their own and are trying to do what most Americans take for granted: go to school, earn a livable wage, and provide for themselves and their families in order to improve their lives; in short, they are trying to achieve their American dream.
"Rescinding this program not only deprives our country of nearly a million talented and driven individuals, it also opens the possibility that program participants will be deported to a country that is foreign to them. A country where they may not know anybody, not speak the language, and not have anywhere to go. Simply put, this is mean-spirited and inhumane.
'I call upon Congressional leadership to immediately begin work to protect these individuals and preserve DACA and I encourage my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to join me in working to save it."
House Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH, 13th)
“We are a compassionate nation. A country that has empathy for a struggling family in a new country. A country that lifts up our younger generation so they can have a better future. The DREAMers that DACA protects were brought here as children through no fault of their own. President Trump’s heartless decision go after 800,000 young people is a complete betrayal of his promise to respond ‘with great heart’ to this issue. His choice to pursue this action instead of using our finite resources to go after criminals who have broken our country’s most serious laws shows that his priorities are not in order. He wants Americans to believe that closing the door to immigrants and closing off our nation from the rest of the world will fix our immigration system. In reality, this reversal will force young people back into the shadows after they voluntarily registered with the government to serve in our military, attend college, and pay taxes. It is unconscionable and un-American that President Trump would move to devastate the futures of individuals who want nothing more than to contribute to the only country they have ever known and loved. Terminating this program goes against the vast majority of Americans who, regardless of their political affiliation, overwhelmingly support allowing these young people to continue their pursuit of the American Dream.
“We should be focusing on comprehensive immigration reform: a long-term solution for fixing our broken immigration system. We can secure our border through smart investments in advanced border technologies while providing a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who are here and abiding by our laws. While it is clear we cannot count on the White House to act with compassion towards DREAMers, Congress has the power to find a legislative solution to resolve the fate of these nearly one million individuals. We have six months to act, the House and Senate leadership must move swiftly and bring up legislation to ensure that these 800,000 young people do not have their futures ripped away, ”
House Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA, 38th)
“President Trump’s rescission of the DACA program marks his cruelest action yet against our immigrant – especially the Latino immigrant – community living in the United States. These DREAMers have lived here almost their entire lives, have integrated into our communities, and have become a part of our American fabric. They see themselves as American in every sense of the word besides having the piece of paper to prove it. Repealing DACA is a foreclosure on the American Dream for nearly a million children and young adults who consider this country their only home.
“This is nothing more than a political decision to appease the extreme factions in his party and includes no good-faith effort to fix our broken immigration system. Since the president has shown his outright hostility to the Latino community, it is time for Republicans to step up and pass the DREAM Act to protect DACA program recipients from deportation and create a legal path towards citizenship for undocumented youth.”
House Representative John P. Sarbanes (D-MD, 3rd)
“At a time when rebuilding and reconciliation should be at the top of our national agenda, it is shameful that the President has decided to terminate a program that embodies the best of American values. DACA recognizes the incredible contributions being made to our country by young people – the DREAMers as we call them – who were brought here without being given a choice, but then studied, worked and excelled in ways that should make all of us proud.
“These young people have overcome great odds and untold hardships to go to college, serve in our military and make lasting contributions to our communities and to our economy. They are our neighbors, our coworkers, our classmates and our service members. Repealing the DACA program will uproot patriotic Americans who want to live in and contribute to the nation they know and love.
“I call upon Speaker Ryan and other leaders in Congress to counter the President’s action by bringing the DREAM Act to the floor for what I hope will be swift, bi-partisan passage.”
House Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL, 9th)
“DREAMers are hard-working and courageous. Through their gumption and bravery, they embody the American spirit. By turning his back on these young people, President Trump has demonstrated that he does not even understand that spirit. How is our country made better by prohibiting these young people from working and threatening them with deportation?
“Congress needs to act immediately to overturn this outrageous action.
“DACA recipients should know that these may be dark days, but we’re not done fighting with them. Despite the President’s misguided and cruel actions, we will continue to be with you every step of the way going forward. Estamos con ustedes.”
House Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA, 28th)
“The President’s decision to end the DACA program is a cruel and arbitrary attack on DREAMers, designed to placate a narrow constituency and erase the legacy of his predecessor. There is nothing in the law or constitution that compels such a result. If the President supported protecting these young people and felt Congressional action was necessary, he could have urged Congress to act long before now, not pulled the rug out from the DREAMers in such cruel fashion.
“For many DREAMers, America is the only home they’ve ever known. Brought across the border by their families when they were only children, these young people have grown up in America, gone to school in America, and made plans for their futures in America. The President would throw that all away.
“When the DACA program was created, America made a promise to these DREAMers that they would be protected. The President’s action today has shattered this promise. Now, hundreds of thousands of young people are left wondering what the future holds for them and whether they’ll be forced to leave their friends, families, and communities.
“Today, the President proved all his critics right: he lacks any sense of empathy, any devotion to a cause greater than himself. But Congress need not sit passively by while families are torn apart. I have offered an amendment to defund any effort to deport the DREAMers. It's time for Members of Congress to stand up and be counted.”
House Representative Robert C. Scott (D-VA, 3rd)
“I am deeply disappointed President Trump is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In 2012, we asked undocumented immigrants who were brought here at a young age, through no fault of their own, to step out of the shadows and undergo robust background checks in exchange for work authorization and temporary relief from deportation. We promised them an opportunity to legally contribute to their communities.
“Since then, nearly 800,000 undocumented young people have been granted temporary permission to live, learn and work in this country. They have been able to fulfill their dreams of completing college, getting a job, buying a car and owning a home, thereby contributing to economic growth that benefits all Americans. In fact, even without access to federal financial aid, nearly one in three DACA recipients have pursued college and another 40,000 have earned at least a bachelor’s degree since the program’s inception. In Virginia alone, there are more than 1,300 undocumented college students who will be impacted by this decision. These students are future social workers, teachers, engineers, lawyers, doctors, small-business owners and more. They are integral to our communities and economies.
“According to the Center for American Progress, DACA recipients stand poised to contribute more than $460 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product – approximately $711 million per year to Virginia alone – over the next decade. Despite powerful evidence of the program’s success, in six months, President Trump will withdraw our country’s promise to these young people who know no other country than the United States as ‘home’. This is in keeping with the Administration’s inhumane anti-immigration agenda. In the wake of today’s announcement, Congress must act now to protect DREAMers and immigrant families.”
House Representative James F. Sensenbrenner (R-WI, 5th)
“The Obama administration overstepped its authority when it enacted the DACA program. I believe the proper way to address our nation’s immigration policy is through the legislative process. It is important that we get our immigration laws right.
“The complex challenges faced by DACA beneficiaries will not be solved overnight, and they certainly won’t be solved by executive order. When the Democrats controlled both Houses of Congress, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was unable to solve the immigration problem unilaterally. This led to the Obama administration’s DACA program, which Obama himself said was temporary.
“The President has given Congress six months to act, and I believe that we must not only take serious action to address the complicated issues surrounding the DACA program, but also border security and enforcement of our laws. Nothing will be done without compromise from both sides of the immigration debate.
“Moving forward, I will continue to work with my congressional colleagues to enact long-term immigration reform through the legislative process, which does not give amnesty to illegal immigrants.”
House Representative Terri A. Sewell (D-AL, 7th)
“The United States is a country of immigrants and our shores have historically been a destination for those seeking freedom, justice, and opportunity. President Trump’s decision to end DACA is an attack on those ideals,” said Rep. Terri Sewell. “DREAMers were brought to the United States as children, and today we know them as neighbors, coworkers, students, and military service members. To participate in the DACA Program, DREAMers had to pass a rigorous background check, pay a fee, and attend school, serve in the military, or be a party of the workforce, all on the promise that they would be allowed to stay in the United States under DACA rules. Today’s announcement breaks that promise. Stripping these young people of the opportunity to stay in the country they love and contribute to our economy is inconsistent with our American values.”
“Not only would ending DACA be a terrible loss for the many Alabamians who count DREAMers as friends and family, but it would devastate our economy, costing Alabama upwards of $180 million annually. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will take action to find a permanent legislative solution for the hundreds of thousands of aspiring Americans directly impacted by the President’s decision.”
