Durbin Announces His Final Introduction Of The Dream Act & Shares 150th Dreamer Story On The Senate Floor
Durbin has introduced the Dream Act every Congress since 2001; this introduction marks his final introduction of the legislation before the end of his congressional career
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced that he and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) will introduce the Dream Act of 2025 tomorrow. The bipartisan legislation would allow noncitizens without lawful status who were brought to the United States as children and meet certain education, military service, or work requirements to earn lawful permanent residence. These young people, known as Dreamers, have lived in America since they were children, built their lives here, and are American in every way except for their immigration status. However, under current law there is often no chance for them to ever become citizens and fulfill their potential.
Beginning in 2001, Durbin introduced the Dream Act to give young immigrants the chance to earn U.S. citizenship. He has introduced the legislation every Congress since.
“It was 24 years ago that I introduced a measure called the Dream Act… These young immigrants [were] brought to the United States as children. Like millions of American children… [they] grew up dreaming of getting their first job, passing their driver’s license test, and applying to college. But they had a problem. Under the current law, they were not legal to do those things. So the Dream Act gives them a chance, if brought to the United States as children, [to] have a path to citizenship after earning their way in a rather long and rigorous process,” Durbin said.
Durbin continued, “It was 2001 when I first introduced bipartisan legislation to provide Dreamers with a pathway to citizenship. My cosponsor was Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who was then the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee… I’m sad to say that more than two decades later, Dreamers are still waiting for that bill to pass.”
In 2010, Durbin sent a letter, joined by the late Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), asking then-President Obama to stop the deportation of Dreamers. Thirteen years ago, President Obama responded by announcing the DACA program. More than 830,000 Dreamers have since come forward and received DACA, which has allowed them to contribute more fully to their country as teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, and small business owners.
“Sadly, since President Obama established the program, many Republicans have waged a relentless campaign to overturn DACA and deport these Dreamers back to countries they left as infants, toddlers, and children—countries they may not even remember. Now this program is hanging by a thread in the courts, due to legal challenges from Republican state attorneys general. And many Dreamers, even those who have protections under DACA, have been caught up in deportation raids by the Trump Administration,” Durbin said.
Durbin then shared the story of Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a college student with a merit scholarship who was deported without due process two weeks ago. Her story is the 150th story of a Dreamer that Durbin has highlighted on the Senate floor.
Any was brought to the United States from Honduras when she was only eight years old. Any worked hard in high school and was an honors student. In her free time, she volunteered as an algebra tutor. Her hard work ultimately paid off, and this year, she received a merit scholarship to study at Babson College in Massachusetts.
Like a lot of college students, she planned to visit her family during the Thanksgiving holiday. Her dad’s employer paid for her travel home to Texas, hoping that she could surprise her dad at work. But when Ms. Lopez Belloza arrived at Boston Logan Airport, she was told there was a problem with her ticket. When she went to customer service, she was surrounded by federal agents and shackled. The next day, a Federal District Court Judge issued an order blocking her transfer or deportation for 72 hours. Despite this court order, the Trump Administration quickly deported her to Honduras, a country she had not been to since she was a little girl. She had nothing but the few belongings she had brought with her for the Thanksgiving holiday at home in Texas with her family.
“You remember the President’s campaign and rallies and how often he stood before cheering crowds and said it’s time to stop the rapists, murderers, terrorists, and criminally insane from flowing into this nation? The ‘worst of the worst,’ he repeated over and over again. Does this young lady look like the ‘worst of the worst’? The answer is clearly no,” Durbin said. “Ms. Lopez Belloza is one of countless Dreamers who have great potential to make this a better country. They’re not asking for a free ride. They are hardworking and determined… It’s that kind of determination, talent, and skill that should be part of this country’s future. She’s going to be someday, I’m sure, a leader in America, a small business owner, a teacher, [or] a doctor.”
Durbin concluded, “The time to pass the Dream Act is now. That is why I’m proud to announce I’ll be reintroducing the Dream Act this week on a bipartisan basis, with my good friend and colleague Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska. While I’ve introduced the Dream Act in every Congress since 2001, this one is different. This is my last year in the Senate. This is my last opportunity as a Senator to make it the law. Over the years, I’ve met hundreds of amazing Dreamers who are American in every sense of the world, except on paper. To those Dreamers, I promise to do everything in my power to fight for you and your future every day I’m here. As I said to you many times, I’m not giving up on you. Don’t give up on me. To Senator Murkowski, thank you. It took courage to cosponsor this bill, and I will never forget it. Can we get to work on a bipartisan basis and agree that if we’re going to keep safe borders, we also want to make sure the right immigrants are here for our future? Any is one of those people. Without due process, she was sent back to Honduras. Her fate is still uncertain, despite a court order. But there are hundreds of thousands like her that, with enough determination, hard work, and opportunity, can make America a greater nation. She is my 150th Dreamer. I hope she’s part of America for years to come.”
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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