Prohibitions Relating to Deferred Action for Aliens

Floor Speech

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Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this mean-spirited bill that will slam the door in the faces of young DREAM Act students who know America as their only home, their only country.

Rarely have I seen fear and hatred turned into an actual piece of legislation and debated on the floor of the People's House.

This GOP bill proposes to deport DREAM Act students like Jose Godinez-Samperio from Tampa, Florida, who was only 9 when his parents brought him to the United States.

He has done everything right. Jose graduated as Valedictorian from Armwood High School in Hillsborough County.

Jose graduated from the State of Florida's Honors College, New College, and then graduated from law school with honors from Florida State University College of Law.

He passed the bar exam, and this year the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature said Jose should receive his license to practice law. They passed a law to do so. In fact, Republicans and Democrats gave him a standing ovation.

There are hundreds of thousands of students like Jose across America tonight who have been living in limbo, waiting for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. They were given a lifeline by the President through the DREAM Act and America has invested in them.

Now, the Republican Congress is moving us farther away from immigration reform, farther away from justice, farther away from smart policy to utilize the talents of young men and women who love America, and farther away from the values America holds dear.

Vote ``no'' on this malicious piece of legislation.

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