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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E720-E721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICAN DREAM AND PROMISE ACT (H.R. 6)
______
HON. GRACE MENG
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate alongside the
hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and TPS holders on the
historic passage of the American Dream and Promise Act. I was proud to
join my House colleagues this week in passing H.R. 6--and thereby
marking a critical milestone in the long fight to protect those who
have known only this country as their home.
For too long, DACA recipients have been left wondering and waiting,
not knowing what will happen with their immigration status. It is time
we end that. TPS recipients remain living year-by-year--wondering if
their TPS status will be extended. It is time we end that. Dreamers and
TPS recipients are our neighbors and friends; they contribute to our
communities, pay taxes, fight for our country and our freedoms, and
live and work toward the American dream.
The Trump Administration's approach to immigration has been cruel,
unjust, and vicious. Its decision to dismantle the DACA program and
terminate TPS designations for several countries is inhumane and an
abandonment of American values and principles. Instead of working
toward a future that creates hope and opportunity for Dreamers, and TPS
and DED recipients, the Administration has relentlessly sought to
further drive them into the shadows and close the door on their dreams
and aspirations.
DACA has enabled 800,000 Dreamers who came to the United States as
children, through no decision of their own, to get an education, to get
jobs, and to meaningfully contribute to the economy of the only country
they have ever called home. They have shown incredible potential and
achievement. For instance, Jin Park, one of my constituents from
Queens, NY, is the first DACA recipient to be awarded the prestigious
Rhodes Scholarship, and he will begin his studies this fall at the
University of Oxford in England. Instead of having the usual worries of
living and studying abroad, Jin fears he may not be allowed to return
to the United States. We need the American Dream and Promise Act for
Jin.
Furthermore, with respect to TPS, I think about my constituents, the
Nepali community of Queens, who were deeply impacted by the April 2015
massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that devastated Nepal and destroyed
over half a million homes. Today, we have 400,000 foreign nationals
living in the U.S. with TPS, some of whom have lived in the U.S. for
decades. And I am proud to have fought in Congress for Nepal's TPS
designation and extension. TPS is not a decision that is made lightly,
but it is a decision that is made compassionately. We need the American
Dream and Promise Act for the Nepali community, and all the other TPS
recipients.
[[Page E721]]
Madam Speaker, it is long overdue for Congress to protect these
individuals who, for too long, have lived in limbo and in the shadows.
I am proud to have voted in for the American Dream and Promise Act
which would provide vital and humane protections for Dreamers, TPS, and
DED recipients. After all, they are integral members of our community,
they each have an American story, and they are deeply woven into the
fabric of this nation.
____________________
