“Hi, I’m Congresswoman Veronica Escobar and I represent El Paso, Texas, a safe and secure community on the U.S.-Mexico border.

“This week, thousands of Dreamers traveled to our nation’s capital to rally as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the termination of DACA and decide whether to uphold the highly successful DACA program or put nearly 700,000 Dreamers at risk of deportation.

“The DACA program, established in 2012 under a long tradition of administrative discretion, has empowered courageous young Dreamers to come out of the shadows and pursue their American Dream as students, as teachers, as doctors, servicemembers and entrepreneurs.

“Dreamers are American in every way except on paper.  They are part of the rich and beautiful fabric of our nation and contribute to our economy and our country’s future.

“In my home state of Texas, the more than 109,000 DACA recipients and their families pay $750 million in federal taxes and more than $400 million in state and local taxes alone.

“Americans across the country know that for Dreamers, home is here, and support providing them with permanent protections and bringing relief and certainty to their lives.

“In Congress, House Democrats have delivered For The People and honored their will by overwhelmingly passing H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act — sent to the Senate over 160 days ago.

“This bill protects Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries by providing them with a pathway to citizenship.

“As the Supreme Court decides whether to uphold the rulings of courts across the country or be complicit in the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, House Democrats are urging Majority Leader McConnell to bring the American Dream and Promise Act to the Senate Floor immediately and work to fix our broken immigration system with humane, comprehensive immigration reform that honors the dignity and grace of all people.

“This summer, my community suffered firsthand the consequences of anti-immigrant sentiment when a terrorist confessed that he drove over 600 miles to ‘target Mexicans’ and immigrants.  Enough is Enough.

“House Democrats denounce this type of hate and will continue supporting the courage of Dreamers and immigrants alike, and work to ensure that they continue to bless and enrich our nation with their patriotism and determination to succeed.

“We will never stop fighting For The People; to lower health care costs and prescription drug prices; to raise workers’ wages by rebuilding America; and to clean up corruption to make Washington work for you.”