Allow Dreamers to Succeed

Floor Speech

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Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, because of the inaction of this Congress, our President, in 2012, deferred action on childhood arrivals to this country, young boys and girls who were brought here at the tender age of 3 or 5 or 6 or 7, who are now flourishing in our communities and making this great country even better.

I call your attention to one of my constituents, Claudia Yoli, who arrived in this country at the age of 8 from Venezuela, interned in my office in 2013, and now works for our great State Senator Jose Rodriguez, and is making El Paso, Texas, and America an even greater place to live.

Unfortunately for Claudia, her mother had to return to Venezuela in 2010 and, because of her status, Claudia was not able to follow. Her mother died last year, and Claudia was unable to return to be with her mother in her dying days and to grieve with her family and be with them.

We owe Claudia and the 750,000 other DREAMers in this country certainty; and we certainly owe them something better than what the President-elect has promised, which is to terminate this deferred action.

So I ask this body, I ask the President-elect, and I ask every American to join together to make sure that we allow these DREAMers to succeed, because their success means America's success.

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