III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 639 

Recognizing June 2020 as ‘‘Immigrant Heritage Month’’, a celebration of 

the accomplishments and contributions immigrants and their children 

have made in making the United States a healthier, safer, more diverse, 

and prosperous country, and acknowledging the importance of immigrants to the future successes of the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 30, 2020 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. BOOKER, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Ms. 

DUCKWORTH, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. WARREN, Ms. HARRIS, 

and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing June 2020 as ‘‘Immigrant Heritage Month’’, 

a celebration of the accomplishments and contributions 

immigrants and their children have made in making the 

United States a healthier, safer, more diverse, and prosperous country, and acknowledging the importance of 

immigrants to the future successes of the United States. 

Whereas the United States is stronger when all individuals 

have the opportunity to live up to their full potential; 

Whereas, in the United States, more than 16 percent of 

health care workers are immigrants, and foreign-born individuals comprise— 

(1) 29.1 percent of physicians; 


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(2) 23.7 percent of dentists; 

(3) 23.1 percent of nursing, psychiatric, and home 

health aides; 

(4) 20.3 percent of pharmacists; 

(5) 17.4 percent of dieticians and nutritionists; 

(6) 17.3 percent of medical assistants; 

(7) 16.5 percent of dental assistants; 

(8) 16.2 percent of optometrists; 

(9) 16 percent of registered nurses; and 

(10) 15 percent of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses; 

Whereas immigrants working in a health care occupation 

range from individuals with Temporary Protected Status 

and individuals who have been granted deferred action 

pursuant to the memorandum of the Department of 

Homeland Security entitled ‘Exercising Prosecutorial 

Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the 

United States as Children’ issued on June 15, 2012 (referred to in this preamble as ‘DACA recipients’), to naturalized citizens; 

Whereas more than 12 percent of immigrants with Temporary Protected Status or who are DACA recipients, or 

310,000 individuals, are humanitarian migrants, including refugees, asylees, special immigrant visa holders, and 

entrants from Cuba and Haiti; 

Whereas 41,700 DACA recipients perform critical roles in the 

health care industry; 

Whereas immigrants working in health care professions serve 

throughout the United States and often serve in rural or 

underserved communities; 


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Whereas each medical student, resident, and physician who 

relies on being a DACA recipient for the ability to practice medicine provides medical care to an average of between 1,533 and 4,600 patients each year; 

Whereas immigrants have filled nearly 1⁄3 of physician roles 

in the United States for a decade; 

Whereas the Association of American Medical Colleges attested to the Supreme Court of the United States that 

the health care system of the United States relies on immigrant health care providers; 

Whereas, in response to the COVID–19 pandemic, immigrants are putting their own lives at risk to save lives 

every day by working as diagnosing and treating practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, health aides, nursing assistants and orderlies, health care support workers, 

medical students and residents, and health technologists 

and technicians; 

Whereas nearly 1⁄3 of all DACA recipients, or 200,000 individuals, and more than 130,000 of the estimated 411,000 

individuals with Temporary Protected Status, are serving 

on the frontlines of the response to the COVID–19 pandemic and are considered essential critical infrastructure 

workers; 

Whereas immigrant essential workers, including first responders, health care workers, agricultural workers, meat 

packers, childcare providers, and hospitality and transportation workers, have heroically helped provide medical 

care, food, shelter, and comfort to individuals in the 

United States impacted by COVID–19; 

Whereas the majority of farm workers in the United States 

are immigrants, and, regardless of politics, have been 


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deemed ‘‘essential workers’’ by the President of the 

United States to maintain a safe food supply for the 

United States during the COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas immigrants have served in the Armed Forces since 

the founding of the United States and have fought in 

every major conflict in the history of the United States, 

including the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and conflicts in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq; 

Whereas immigrants have put their lives at risk to protect 

the ideals of the United States and democracy and the 

lives of individuals in the United States by serving as 

translators and interpreters for the Armed Forces and 

performing sensitive and trusted activities for United 

States military personnel stationed at the International 

Security Assistance Force; 

Whereas immigrants who serve in emerging industries in the 

United States with pronounced labor shortages that rely 

on science, technology, engineering, and math (referred 

to in this preamble as ‘‘STEM’’) skills, such as artificial 

intelligence, bolster the economy and enhance the national security and global leadership of the United States; 

Whereas, when immigrants have a trusting relationship with 

local law enforcement agencies, they report crime and 

work with police on neighborhood crime reduction strategies; 

Whereas more immigrants reside in the United States than 

any other country in the world, and immigrants in the 

United States come from almost every country in the 

world, contributing to the rich diversity of individuals, 

cultures, cuisine, literature, art, language, academia, 

music, media, fashion, and customs in the United States; 


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Whereas the United States is more diverse than ever before 

in history, evidenced by the fact that— 

(1) an increased percentage of immigrants to the 

United States have come from countries such as India, 

China (including Hong Kong and Macao but not Taiwan), the Philippines, El Salvador, Vietnam, Cuba, the 

Dominican Republic, South Korea, and Guatemala; and 

(2) the number of Black immigrants to the United 

States from across the African continent, the Caribbean, 

and the Americas has increased by 30 percent since 

2010; 

Whereas Black immigrants and their children make up 

roughly 1⁄5, or 18 percent, of the overall Black population 

of the United States; 

Whereas, in response to recent civil unrest in the United 

States, immigrants of all backgrounds have pledged their 

support to fight hand-in-hand with Black immigrants 

to— 

(1) fight against racial injustice and for accountability from law enforcement agencies and the criminal 

justice system; and 

(2) demand that law enforcement agencies protect 

individuals, regardless of their skin color; 

Whereas celebrating racial, ethnic, linguistic, and religious 

differences of immigrants has resulted in a unified, patriotic, and prosperous United States; 

Whereas immigration has long been one of the greatest competitive advantages of the United States; 

Whereas immigrants of all skill levels have helped make the 

economy of the United States the strongest in the world, 

complementing existing businesses in the United States 


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in times of need and founding successful businesses of 

their own; 

Whereas, although immigrants account for only 13.7 percent 

of the total population of the United States, nearly half 

of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants 

or their children, and those businesses create more than 

$6,000,000,000,000 in annual revenue and employ millions of individuals in the United States; 

Whereas 72.5 percent of immigrants believe that hard work 

is necessary to succeed in the United States, and immigrants are responsible for half of the total labor force 

growth in the United States in the last decade; 

Whereas, in the United States in 2019— 

(1) 66 percent of immigrants who were 16 years of 

age or older were employed; and 

(2) 62.5 percent of individuals born in the United 

States who were 16 years of age or older were employed; 

Whereas immigrants are entrepreneurial self-starters who— 

(1) create their own opportunity and employment 

opportunities; and 

(2) are more likely to be entrepreneurs than individuals born in the United States; 

Whereas the high-skilled immigration system of the United 

States— 

(1) has not been updated in more than 25 years; 

(2) is outdated and overburdened; and 

(3) puts the global leadership of the United States 

at risk; 

Whereas national security experts agree that it is essential 

for the United States to maintain its military 

exceptionalism by being the leader in advanced techVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Jul 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR639.IS SR639

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nologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber and quantum 

technologies, robotics, and directed-energy and hypersonic 

weapons, which are STEM fields in which immigrants fill 

dangerous labor shortages in the United States; 

Whereas, in the future, immigrants in the United States are 

expected to fill a crucial need for health care workers 

brought on by an aging population and a longer life expectancy, and, by filling that need, immigrants will keep 

individuals in the United States healthy; 

Whereas meaningful immigration policy reform would reduce 

the Federal deficit by $1,200,000,000,000 in just 20 

years, contributing to greater economic stability and safety; 

Whereas, if Dreamers were provided a pathway to citizenship, 

the cumulative gains for the economy of the United 

States could be up to $1,000,000,000,000; 

Whereas, because immigrants in the United States are more 

likely to be working-age than individuals born in the 

United States, immigrants are more likely to contribute 

to the labor force and economy as both consumers and 

taxpayers, thereby helping to fund social services and 

programs like Medicare and Social Security and making 

individuals in the United States healthier, safer, and economically prosperous; and 

Whereas the continued integration of immigrants from 

around the world and encouraging a pathway to citizenship, economic and social mobility, and civic engagement 

for those immigrants will— 

(1) perpetuate the prosperity of the United States; 

and 


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(2) reinforce the patriotism that the people of the 

United States feel for the United States, no matter their 

color of skin, country of origin, or religious background: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes June 2020 as ‘‘Immigrant Herit3 age Month’’ in honor of the contributions immi4 grants and their children have made to the United 

5 States throughout its history; 

6 (2) pledges to celebrate immigrant contributions 

7 to, and immigrant heritages in, each State; 

8 (3) welcomes immigrants presently in the 

9 United States and individuals seeking to immigrate 

10 to the United States to contribute to the health, 

11 safety, diversity, and prosperity of the United States 

12 by finding their place in the vibrant, multiethnic, 

13 and integrated society of the United States; 

14 (4) encourages the people of the United States 

15 to work with their immigrant neighbors and col16 leagues to advance the current and future well-being 

17 of the United States; and 

18 (5) commits to working with fellow Members of 

19 Congress, the executive agencies that administer im20 migration laws and policies, and the President to 

21 promote smart and just immigration policy for im22 migrants presently in the United States, their famiVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Jul 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR639.IS SR639

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1 lies, and individuals seeking to immigrate to the 

2 United States in the future. 

Æ 


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