III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 294 

Recognizing the month of June 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, 

prosperous country, and acknowledging the importance of immigrants 

and their children to the future successes of the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 24, 2021 

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

DUCKWORTH, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. LUJA ́N, and Ms. HIRONO) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the month of June 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, prosperous country, and acknowledging the importance of immigrants and their children 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 about 15 percent of health care workers in the 

United States are immigrants, including (in order of 


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highest percentage of health care workers who are foreign 

born)— 

(1) 29 percent of physicians; 

(2) 25 percent of nursing, psychiatric, and home 

health aides; 

(3) 24 percent of dentists; 

(4) 20 percent of pharmacists; 

(5) 19 percent of dental assistants; 

(6) 15 percent of medical assistants; 

(7) 15 percent of registered nurses; 

(8) 15 percent of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses; 

(9) 12 percent of dieticians and nutritionists; and 

(10) 12 percent of optometrists; 

Whereas immigrants working in a health care occupation 

range from those granted temporary protected status 

under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality 

Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) or 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’’) to naturalized United States citizens; 

Whereas more than 12 percent of such immigrants (310,000 

individuals) are humanitarian migrants, including refugees, asylees, special immigrant visa holders, and Cuban 

and Haitian entrants; 

Whereas 50,000 DACA recipients perform critical roles in the 

health care industry; 


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•SRES 294 IS 

Whereas immigrants working in health care professions serve 

throughout the United States, and often in rural or underserved communities; 

Whereas the medical students, residents, and physicians who 

rely on DACA for their ability to practice medicine provide medical care to approximately 4,600 patients a year; 

Whereas immigrants have filled approximately 1⁄3 of physician roles in the United States each year for the 10 years 

prior to 2021; 

Whereas the Association of American Medical Colleges attested to the Supreme Court that the health care system 

of the United States relies on immigrant health care providers; 

Whereas, in response to COVID–19, immigrants are putting 

their own lives on the line to save lives every day, working as diagnostic and treatment practitioners, physician 

assistants, physicians, nurses, health aides, nursing assistants and orderlies, health care support workers, medical students and residents, and health technologists and 

technicians; 

Whereas more than 5,200,000 undocumented immigrants, including more than 1⁄2 of all DACA recipients (400,000 

individuals) and the majority of Temporary Protected 

Status holders (more than 220,000 individuals) are considered essential critical infrastructure workers; 

Whereas immigrant essential workers, including first-responders, health care workers, agricultural workers and 

meat packers, child care providers, and hospitality and 

transportation workers, have heroically helped provide 

medical care, food, shelter, and comfort to the people of 

the United States impacted by COVID–19; 


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Whereas undocumented immigrants alone contribute an estimated $228,000,000,000 of spending power annually to 

the United States economy, after the payment of 

$49,000,000,000 of combined Federal, State, and local 

taxes each year; 

Whereas the majority of farm workers in the United States 

are immigrants, and regardless of politics, have been 

deemed ‘‘essential workers’’ in order 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 on the line to protect the ideals of the United States and democracy, as 

well as lives of the people of 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 with the International 

Security Assistance Force; 

Whereas immigrants who serve in emerging industries with 

pronounced labor shortages in the United States, such as 

artificial intelligence, that rely on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this preamble 

as ‘‘STEM’’) skills, not only bolster the economy but also 

enhance national security and global leadership; 

Whereas when immigrants have a trusting relationship with 

local law enforcement, they have reported crime and have 


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worked with police on neighborhood crime reduction 

strategies; 

Whereas more immigrants reside in the United States than 

any other country in the world and represent almost 

every country in the world, contributing to the rich diversity in the United States of people, cultures, cuisine, literature, art, language, academia, music, media, fashion, 

and customs; 

Whereas the United States is more diverse than ever before 

in its history, with greater shares of immigrants from 

countries such as India, China (including those born in 

Hong Kong and Macao, but not Taiwan), the Philippines, 

El Salvador, Vietnam, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, 

South Korea, and Guatemala, and an increase of 79 percent since 2000 of Black immigrants from across the African continent, the Caribbean, Jamaica, and Haiti; 

Whereas Black immigrants and their children make up 

roughly 1⁄5 of the overall Black population in the United 

States (18 percent); 

Whereas in response to recent civil unrest in the United 

States, immigrants of all backgrounds have pledged their 

support to fight racial injustice, hand-in-hand with Black 

immigrants, to fight for accountability from law enforcement and the criminal justice system and to demand that 

law enforcement protect people, regardless of their skin 

color; 

Whereas celebrating the 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; 


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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 

in times of need and founding successful businesses of 

their own; 

Whereas, although only accounting for 13.7 percent (nearly 

45,000,000 people) of the total population of the United 

States, more than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies 

were founded by immigrants or their children, which has 

created $4,200,000,000,000 in annual revenue and employ millions of people of the United States; 

Whereas 64.5 percent of immigrants aged 16 and older were 

employed, as opposed to 60.0 percent of native-born people of the United States; 

Whereas immigrants are entrepreneurial, self-starters who 

create their own opportunity and employment opportunities for others, with 11.8 percent of employed immigrants 

being self-employed compared to 8.9 percent of employed, 

native-born people of the United States; 

Whereas immigrant-owned businesses provide jobs across the 

United States, creating more jobs through entrepreneurial activity than they fill; 

Whereas immigrants are more likely to have advanced degrees than native-born people of the United States; 

Whereas the high-skilled immigration system of the United 

States has not been updated in more than 25 years and 

is now outdated and overburdened, putting 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 21:35 Jun 25, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR294.IS SR294

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nologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber, quantum, 

robotics, directed energy, and hypersonic weapons, which 

are all STEM fields where immigrants fill dangerous 

labor shortages in the United States; 

Whereas due to population aging and longer life expectancy 

of the population in the United States requiring an increase in health care workers, immigrants are expected to 

fill a crucial need in the future health care of the United 

States, keeping the people of the United States healthy; 

Whereas in just 20 years, meaningful immigration policy reform could reduce the Federal deficit by approximately 

$1,000,000,000,000, contributing to greater economic 

stability and safety; 

Whereas over the course of the next decade, immigration policy reform would result in the creation of 3,230,000 new 

jobs, keeping the United States more economically sound; 

Whereas future population growth in the United States will 

require increased immigration, and by increasing immigration substantially, will keep the United States economically competitive with China and other global economies, and reduce future fiscal imbalances for popular 

programs like programs under the Social Security Act 

(42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.); and 

Whereas continued integration of immigrants from around 

the world that encourages and facilitates a pathway to 

citizenship, economic and social mobility, and civic engagement, will perpetuate the prosperity of the United 

States and reinforce the patriotism all people of the 

United States feel for the United States, no matter the 

color of skin, country of origin, or religious background 

of the person: Now, therefore, be it 


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1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes June 2021 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 fami23 lies, and individuals seeking to immigrate to the 

24 United States in the future. 

Æ 


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