Daca

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, it was 9 years ago today, after a year or more of writing letters to my friend and colleague President Obama, that he finally agreed to an Executive order known as DACA. DACA took the heart of the DREAM Act, which I introduced 20 years ago, and made an Executive order. He said to those who were brought to this country as children, infants, who really had nothing to do with the family decision on coming to America: We are going to give you a chance, since you grew up undocumented, to be a part of this Nation. So every 2 years, you can apply for renewable status, be protected from deportation, and be allowed to legally work. We will do a criminal investigation, national security investigation, and if we believe that you are no threat to this country, we will give you 2 years to prove yourself.

More than 800,000 young people stepped forward and made a life in America and did extraordinary things for this country. They proved that, given a chance to be part of America's future, they would make it a better nation. Two of them testified today. One of them is a doctor from the city of Chicago. I am so proud of him, Dr. Bernal Mejia. He was born in Mexico and grew up in Memphis, TN. He struggled, scrapped, clawed his way into an amazing undergraduate institution, graduated summa cum laude, and hoped that one day he would have a chance to go to medical school.

Before DACA, that was a dream that was way too distant. Then came DACA. He looked around to see if any medical schools in the United States would let someone who was protected by DACA apply for medical school. It turned out there was one. I am proud to say it was Loyola University in Chicago, the Stritch School of Medicine. They didn't create a new category of students; they just said: We will let you compete. If you are good enough, we will admit you as a student.

Over 30 DACA students became medical students at Loyola. Dr. Mejia was one. He is now about to finish, in a few weeks, the third year of his residency in emergency medicine. He has spent the last year and a half, as you can imagine, in emergency rooms saving the lives of so many people, particularly victims of COVID-19.

How many times has each of us thanked the healthcare heroes, and how many times have we thought that one of them might have been an undocumented doctor whose future and fate are still so uncertain in America? That is the case today because the DREAM Act has not become the law of the land.

So we had a hearing and discussed his situation and the bill that was sent to us by the House. I believe there is some bipartisan sentiment in favor of that, and I am trying to work to develop that into legislation that will finally give to Dr. Mejia and so many others across this country the future in America which they have all prayed for. They have worked hard to earn it. They deserve it.

I am glad, at this hearing today, the doctor came and told this story. It is an inspiration to me and all who believe in this country that we should have justice when it comes to immigration.

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