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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 777 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 777

 Recognizing Mayte Lara Ibarra, and Larissa Martinez for their bravery 
and leadership in addressing anti-immigrant sentiments voiced by United 
                          States politicians.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 13, 2016

 Mr. Veasey (for himself, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Vela, Mr. Hinojosa, 
 Ms. Jackson Lee, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Gene 
Green of Texas, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Ms. Plaskett, Mr. Hastings, 
 Mr. Nadler, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. 
 Doggett, and Mr. Honda) submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Recognizing Mayte Lara Ibarra, and Larissa Martinez for their bravery 
and leadership in addressing anti-immigrant sentiments voiced by United 
                          States politicians.

Whereas children with an undocumented status, being in the United States through 
        no fault of their own, often live in the shadows as a result of their 
        hardworking parents' difficult and life changing decision to seek a 
        better life for their children;
Whereas approximately 2,100,000 students in the United States have undocumented 
        status and would have been eligible for the Federal DREAM Act;
Whereas approximately 1,000,000 undocumented children under the age of 18 call 
        the United States home;
Whereas 63 percent of United States citizens, nearly two-thirds of the Nation's 
        population, believe in a pathway to citizenship;
Whereas bringing people out of the shadows has economic benefits to the Nation 
        as a whole;
Whereas the United States has always been a nation of immigrants and throughout 
        the Nation's history, immigrants and their children from around the 
        globe have kept the workforce vibrant, businesses on the cutting edge, 
        and helped build the greatest economic engine in the world;
Whereas young people, in particular, provide inspiration in their pursuit of the 
        American dream;
Whereas, on June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security and President 
        Barack Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program 
        which allows certain populations who arrived in the United States as 
        children and meet several guidelines to request consideration of 
        deferred action for a period of 2 years, subject to renewal;
Whereas the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program allows 
        individuals to apply for work authorization and a social security 
        number;
Whereas since the DACA program was launched in 2012, over 713,000 young people 
        have been reviewed and approved by Federal officials to receive 
        temporary and renewable work permits and Social Security numbers so they 
        can contribute to the country of which they feel most a part;
Whereas, on November 20, 2014, President Barack Obama announced the expansion of 
        the successful 2012 DACA program and also included eligible parents of 
        United States citizens and lawful permanent residents, providing 
        temporary relief from deportation and employment authorization for 3 
        years under the creation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans 
        and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program;
Whereas the Migration Policy Institute estimates that expansion of the 2012 DACA 
        program could make an additional 275,000 undocumented youths and young 
        adults eligible for relief from removal proceedings and the opportunity 
        to work and study in the United States;
Whereas less than a mile away from the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. 
        Senate, the Supreme Court of the United States will issue a decision 
        later this summer on United States v. Texas, which challenges President 
        Barack Obama's directive to the Secretary of Homeland Security to use 
        his prosecutorial discretion to provide temporary deportation relief to 
        immigrants who have a strong record of established ties to the United 
        States and instead focus agency resources on foreign nationals who have 
        demonstrated that they are a tangible threat to the United States;
Whereas the over 11,000,000 strong undocumented community continues to call on 
        Congress to provide a long-term solution to the Nation's failed 
        immigration policies;
Whereas valedictorians are the highest academically ranked students in their 
        high school's graduating class;
Whereas valedictorians have demonstrated consistency in their intellectual 
        inquiry, academic discipline, determination, and utilization of teacher 
        mentoring throughout their high school career;
Whereas the House of Representatives has not yet voted in the 114th Congress on 
        legislation that upholds the Nation's basic principles to secure 
        borders, protect workers, to uphold family unity, and provide an earned 
        path to citizenship;
Whereas in 2010, over 139 Members of the House of Representatives supported the 
        DREAM Act which would give students who were raised in the United States 
        an opportunity to contribute to the Nation's well-being by serving in 
        the United States Armed Forces or pursuing a higher education;
Whereas all persons deserve equal respect and treatment no matter their age, 
        race, religion, sexual orientation, or immigration status; and
Whereas the United States legacy and proud reputation as a nation of immigrants 
        will be threatened if Congress continues to shirk its responsibility to 
        address the Nation's broken immigration system that tears apart 
        families, reduces economic productivity, and forces outstanding students 
        with a genuine desire to better their lives and empower their families 
        through education to be caught in the crossfire of Congress' continued 
        inaction on one of the most pressing issues affecting the future of the 
        United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes Mayte Lara Ibarra, and Larissa Martinez for 
        their bravery and leadership in addressing anti-immigrant 
        sentiments voiced by United States politicians;
            (2) recognizes that young beneficiaries of the DACA program 
        have provided inspiration in their pursuit of the American 
        dream;
            (3) commends their efforts to bring light to the thousands 
        of undocumented immigrants living in the shadows, promoting 
        comprehensive immigration reform, and demonstrating that their 
        belief and commitment to the American Dream will continue to 
        inspire other hardworking undocumented students to pursue their 
        goals relentlessly despite the challenges Congress' failure to 
        bring comprehensive immigration for a vote presents in their 
        daily lives; and
            (4) honors and recognizes the many undocumented 
        valedictorians and graduating seniors of the class of 2016 for 
        their academic achievements.
                                 <all>
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