Hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - The US and Mexico - Immigration Policy and the Bilateral Relationship

Federal News Service

HEADLINE: HEARING OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE SUBJECT: THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO: IMMIGRATION POLICY AND THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

CHAIRED BY: SENATOR RICHARD LUGAR (R-IN)

WITNESSES: PANEL I:

SENATOR CHUCK HAGEL (R-NE);

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ);

SENATOR LARRY E. CRAIG (R-ID);

SENATOR RICHARD J. DURBIN (D-IL);

SENATOR JOHN CORNYN (R-TX);

PANEL II: ROGER F. NORIEGA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE;

C. STEWART VERDERY, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, OFFICE OF POLICY AND PLANNING, BORDER AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY DIRECTORATE;

EDUARDO AGUIRRE, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES;

PANEL III: DR. STEPHEN E. FLYNN, JEANE J. KIRKPATRICK SENIOR FELLOW IN NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS; DR. DEMETRIOS G. PAPADEMETRIOU, PRESIDENT, MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE; DR. ARTURO A. VALENZUELA, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

BODY:

SEN. RICHARD J. DURBIN (D-IL): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. My Senate colleagues and fellow immigrants, I want to thank you for giving the opportunity to testify today about immigration reform. I believe this is a priority for America, it's a priority for Mexico and it's important that we act this year. It's imperative that we address our deeply flawed immigration policy. It jeopardizes our national security and our economy. It often treats hardworking immigrants unfairly. In recent months the discussion about immigration reform has been dominated by President Bush's guest worker proposal.

Though I agree with Senator Boxer, that I think there are some fundamental flaws with the president's proposal, let me go on record to commend the president. It took courage, political courage for him to step out and say it's time for America to speak forthrightly about immigration. I think he opened the door and I think we have an obligation as public servants who understand the gravity of this issue to step through that door and make positive changes. To my knowledge, the president's proposal has not yet been introduced as a bill, it may be later this year.

But we shouldn't wait for that, I think we can move on immigration reform. We should pass the DREAM Act, it's the only immigration reform proposal reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee in this Congress. It will signal that we're serious about immigration policy reform. I've introduced this act with Senator Orrin Hatch. What an unlikely political couple, Hatch and Durbin, who happen to agree and 42 cosponsors have joined us. The bill was reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee on an overwhelming 16 to three vote. It's narrowly tailored to provide immigration relief to a select group of students who have good moral character, have no evidence of wrongdoing in their background, who are trying to pursue higher education and really give more back to America.

Mr. Chairman, I note that you and eight other members of this committee are cosponsors of the DREAM Act. I think we have the wind at our back on this issue. The administration hasn't taken a position, I hope that their witnesses today will tell us that the president supports the DREAM Act. I know several of my colleagues on the committee have met some of the inspiring young people who would benefit. Let me tell you just a couple of illustrations that tell the story.

Diana, born in Mexico, raised in Chicago. Her parents brought her to this country at the age of six. Her father works for construction, $25,000 a year income. Her mother manages a fast-food restaurant and earns $15,000 a year. Last year, Diana graduated from high school in Chicago in the top 5 percent of her class, with a GPA of 4.4 on a 4.0 scale.

An aspiring architect, she's an Illinois state scholar and the first place winner of the National Annual Design and Drafting contest. An active member for a Catholic parish, she was the recipient of the 2003 New Leadership Award from the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops. Because of her excellent grades and her great background, she was accepted at North Western University, a prestigious school but due to her immigration status was unable to attend. Nonetheless, she became the first member of her family to attend another college when she enrolled in the Architecture School at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Let me tell you another story of a young person who was not Mexican. Teresa, raised in Chicago, her Korean parents brought her to the United States when she was two years old. Her mother, the family's sole breadwinner earns $20,000 per year working 12 hour days at a drycleaners. Here's how I came to know Teresa. Her parents called my office and said Teresa is a musical prodigy. She's been accepted at the Julliard School of Music but when she went to fill out her application to go to school there they had a box that said what is your citizenship? She turned to her mother who said, Teresa, I'm sorry, we never filed the papers. You're not documented in the United States. And she then came to learn that she couldn't get financial assistance at the Julliard School of Music.

She came to our office and said I've been here since I was two years old, what can I do? We called the Immigration and Naturalization Service and they said it's clear what she should do, she should return to Korea. This young girl had been in the United States for 16 or 17 years, she knows no other country. Well, thank goodness she went ahead and went to Julliard and she is a musical prodigy. She will be a person that we look up to and admire and probably buy her CDs in years to come. But the hardship on her and her family trying to achieve this dream is the reason that Senator Hatch and I have offered this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, the DREAM Act would provide immigration relief to these students. It will permit young people of good moral character who graduate from high school, attend college or enlist in the military and are long-term U.S. residents to become permanent residents. The DREAM Act will also repeal a provision of the federal law that makes it prohibitively expensive for states to grant in-state tuition rates to undocumented students.

In the interests of time I won't go through the details, but keep in mind the DREAM Act simply gives to states the option to decide. We precluded that with a legislation we passed years ago. Mr. Chairman, I can't think of another bill that I have introduced that has created so much support and hope among people who are desperate. To have a young person come to me, as I'm sure each of us can tell this story, and say, Senator, I'm about to graduate from college, I've worked my way through, extra jobs, it's been extremely difficult. One young man said to me I have degrees in biology and computer science, I want to go into medical research but my undocumented status stops me from contributing back to the only country I know, the country that I love, the United States of America.

Mr. Chairman, at the end of this hearing I hope that we don't just have a great committee report and little action. You're not that kind of chairman. You're looking for solutions and I want to join you and I hope by the end of this Congress we will respond favorably and pass the DREAM Act. Thank you very much.

SEN. LUGAR: Well, thank you very much, Senator Durbin, for your testimony today. I think the news you bring by a vote of 16 to three the Judiciary Committee has forwarded the DREAM Act to the Senate should be underlined and may have been missed by many. But one purpose of our hearing is really to highlight constructive action that's occurring and this is one in which we could, as senators, take action and I pray that we will. The Mexican Consul in Indiana feels this is the most important way in a legislative session that we could make headway in the relationship. So, I appreciate your championship of the DREAM Act and your testimony here today. And thank you for coming.

Let me say that-and I made a note so as not to interrupt the flow of things, the entirety of Senator Boxer's statement will be made a part of the record, likewise the two documents that Senator Craig offered to us, were made a part of our record.

I'd like to call now upon Senator Hagel.