IV 

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; 


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•HRES 777 IH 

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 twothirds 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; 


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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, determinaVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Jun 14, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR777.IH HR777

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tion, 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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes Mayte Lara Ibarra, and Larissa 

3 Martinez for their bravery and leadership in adVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Jun 14, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR777.IH HR777

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1 dressing anti-immigrant sentiments voiced by United 

2 States politicians; 

3 (2) recognizes that young beneficiaries of the 

4 DACA program have provided inspiration in their 

5 pursuit of the American dream; 

6 (3) commends their efforts to bring light to the 

7 thousands of undocumented immigrants living in the 

8 shadows, promoting comprehensive immigration re9 form, and demonstrating that their belief and com10 mitment to the American Dream will continue to in11 spire other hardworking undocumented students to 

12 pursue their goals relentlessly despite the challenges 

13 Congress’ failure to bring comprehensive immigra14 tion for a vote presents in their daily lives; and 

15 (4) honors and recognizes the many undocu16 mented valedictorians and graduating seniors of the 

17 class of 2016 for their academic achievements. 

Æ 


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