Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to welcome to the House of Representatives five selfless individuals, courageous reformers who have made a tremendous sacrifice to raise awareness for the need of immigration reform. They are truly deserving not only of our applause, but also of our admiration.

After fasting for over 3 weeks, these committed reformers have successfully drawn attention to the pressing need to pass immigration reform. As Members of Congress, we cannot ignore the steadfast devotion of these advocates through further inaction.

Along with the majority of this country and the majority of the House of Representatives, these tremendous leaders know we need comprehensive immigration reform now. Unfortunately, the House leadership continues to irresponsibly block commonsense, bipartisan reform by refusing to let the full House vote.

Mr. Speaker, these leaders need more than applause. They deserve a vote, and they deserve it now.

Mr. Speaker, the following are stories of individuals affected by our nation's broken immigration system:

Story 1: I have been in this country for five years. I came

from my country, Honduras, because I was a victim of domestic

violence from my father. When I reported the abuses I was in

danger because there were gangs that threatened me, and I was

very scared. I was able to leave my country with no problems,

thank God. I sought the opportunity to continue studying but

I was asked for papers and they required me to have legal

status. I waited for the Dream Act because, at the time, I

was hearing a lot of talk about it. But, unfortunately, I

didn't qualify for deferred action. I got desperate because I

didn't want to spend much time without continuing my studies.

A friend of mine suggested I go to Canada. When I was

crossing through Buffalo, six immigration officials stopped

me and treated me very badly. I told them that I was not a

criminal and asked them not to treat me like that. I didn't

resist, behave violently, or do anything for them to treat me

like that. They made me feel like the worst person in this

country, just because I didn't have documents. I just wanted

the opportunity to continue my studies and I wanted for them

to help me. I entered a jail with criminals, with women I had

never seen in my life, that scared me just by looking at

them. I could not sleep, could not eat in peace. I just kept

thinking that at any moment there could be violence. Thank

God my fiance's family and church members raised the money to

pay $10,000, and now I'm waiting for the court because I have

been given a deportation order. I don't want to continue

living in the shadows. We are not criminals. We are people

with dreams, with the same heart, the same blood that runs

through our veins. We are people just like the citizens here.

We are also part of this country, this is our home. Despite

everything I've always considered it my home because I'm

thankful I am here and that I'm still alive. If I would have

stay in my country I would've died a long time ago. I only

ask for immigration reform to take place soon, because the

future of so many people is at stake. Update: Her deportation

order has been postponed until 2014. Her child is due in

September of 2013.

Story 2. I support a roadmap to citizenship, as a woman

that came to this country 18 years ago and that have been

through some hard times. Thank the Lord, today I am a U.S.

citizen, and my children are U. S.-born citizens. I support a

roadmap to citizenship for all the people that are suffering,

that don't have a driver's license, that don't have documents

and are afraid to lose their families. I have an uncle who I

adore and who is always afraid just with the thought that he

could be deported one day, that's why I say yes to a roadmap

to citizenship for all the people who are contributing to

this country.

Story 3: I say yes to citizenship. I am Cuban, even though

I was not [undocumented] when I came to this country I

understand the need for the sisters and brother that are

undocumented. I just heard the stories and what people feel

when they have to drive, these are honest men and women that

come to this country to give everything for their life. This

is the land where honey and milk flow we are all immigrants

and we need citizenship. Every person that does not have a

criminal record should have citizenship. All those honest men

and women, parents, grandparents, children without documents

to go to school and who are getting behind because of not

having their documents.

Respond, Obama, and all members of Congress. We say yes to

citizenship. I am involved even though I am already a

citizen. We have to support our brothers and sisters in the

name of Jesus. May God bless and grant them with great

wisdom. In the name of Jesus.

Story 4: I came to the United States in 1991. I planned to

stay here for three years to finish my law degree. In 1994 I

had an accident. That was my first battle. One can face many

injustices in this country. I was denied medical attention at

a hospital in Michigan. I did not have money, and since I

wasn't covered by insurance I had to leave.

I stayed in the state of Michigan with this issue until

February 1995. Then I moved to New York. In New York I was

diagnosed with a torn knee ligament (MCL) on my right knee.

The cost of the surgery was $65,000. Therefore, I didn't have

any other option than to go to Mexico. I had the surgery done

after six months. I suffered a lot. Can you imagine? My right

knee meniscus and ligaments were torn and the pain was

unbearable. The hospital's policy of no discrimination posted

on the walls in big bold letters is completely false.

I had another accident in 2006 here in Immokalee, Florida.

The lawyers of Azteca Supermarket tried to blackmail me with

threats of calling immigration and many other threats of this

kind. Then, I basically dropped the case after writing a

letter to the judge in which I called the lawyers cannibals

and the fact that they were lawyers didn't mean I couldn't

press charges against them. The lawyers of Azteca Supermarket

dropped the case as well.

I have witnessed situations in which workers have been hit

by their employers. In fact, I have experienced that same

situation myself. When I was living in New York, I used to

work at a store where a [Korean] hit me. I have witnessed

many injustices in this country. We need comprehensive

immigration reform so that employers stop abusing

undocumented workers. Today I am diabetic, perhaps because I

didn't get treatment on time. After my first accident I went

through a period of depression and much suffering, watching

how apathetic people were. I didn't comprehend how even

though I was working, the hospitals here in United States

wouldn't treat me. I was contributing to the economy of this

country and the hospitals denied me the right to medical

attention. There are many things I would like talk about, but

time is short. I'd like to talk to Congress. I'd like to talk

to the members of the House of Representatives and the

Senate, and I'd like to tell them myself why it is important

to have immigration reform.

If we are contributing to this economy on a daily basis

with our work and sweat, it is inhumane deny us medical

attention, education and the opportunity to prepare ourselves

to be better. I want to reiterate that

is very important to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Story 5: Hello. I'm from Argentina, but I've been in the

United States for 12 years. I am very appreciative of this

country because it has opened doors for us, because we came

from Argentina where things are really bad. Please, we need

immigration reform, a path to citizenship, because we don't

have driver's licenses, we don't have health insurance, and

we don't have anything to help us stay safe in this country.

We want to stay here, we're not going to leave, and for that

I say yes to urgent immigration reform, yes to fast

citizenship. I'm a 63-year-old grandmother, and I've worked a

lot in Miami, but now we can't work nor do anything because

we don't have papers. My daughter is unemployed because she

doesn't have papers. She is 23 years old and doesn't have

papers. I have married children, but they are married to

undocumented people, not to people with papers. Please, we

need urgent immigration reform.

Story 6: I want to say yes to citizenship because I

believe, just like me, so many good people have come to work

in this country, to help and contribute to the economy. I

have been living here for 15 years. I am a person like any

other, and I believe and think that citizenship is necessary

because we have earned it with our work and the sweat on our

foreheads, and it would help us so much because we face too

much discrimination in our jobs. They rob us, pay us low

wages, and there has to be an end. Also, I'd like to say that

if there is citizenship or a bill, it would be a great help

to the economy of this country and I'd also like to say thank

you to all of you for doing all of this, for making us a part

of this huge force, and of course, yes to citizenship.

Story 7: I am supporting immigration reform for

citizenship. I am in this country illegally. I want to be a

citizen so that I can contribute to this nation. Thank you

very much.

Story 8: It's been six years since I came from Mexico. I

came to this country because the situation in Mexico is very

critical. There's a lot of crime, you know. There are so many

criminals who kill like it's nothing. There's no work. I say

yes to immigration reform so that we can be American

citizens. I also consider this country like my own, and I say

yes to reform.

Story 9: I am a native of Jalisco, Mexico, and I was born

in 1969. I'm from a rural area in Jalisco. I came to the

United States when I was 14 years old. I worked in a farm in

Homestead, which opened opportunities for me in this country

and I received my residency in '86. Now I am working with the

University of Miami, and I volunteer with the Florida Farmers

Association. The Association made me President of the Board

of Directors, and now I am telling them that we can help

reform our immigration system and asking them to support

immigration reform if they can. This is what I'm doing for

the immigrant community living in the country. Above all

else, I am also asking that all the states in the United

States approve driver's licenses because, independently of

whether reform happens or not, people will come to this

country with papers, they will overstay their visas, and stay

undocumented. I am asking for reform for the immigrants

that come to this country.

Story 10: For me, it is very important that some kind of

reform takes place because it is very difficult for us to

stay here in this country with all the problems from the

police regarding driver's licenses and without the benefits

that everyone else gets. Many Americans consider us to be

below them simply because we don't have papers, because we

have no way to defend ourselves, because we are treated by

the police, and all that. We should have so many more

benefits so that we can hold a job. It is very difficult to

keep a job without papers. I would like for undocumented

immigrants to be okay in the United States like everyone else

that has papers, for us to be okay with the law, because it

is very difficult for me.

Story 11: I am a farm worker, mainly working on farms

picking oranges. I've had many jobs: picking apples, working

with tobacco, and doing a lot of other agricultural work.

Another thing, I am a citizen. My parents were in Texas when

I was born. They worked there after they came from Mexico and

they were undocumented. My relatives and I were born therein

Texas during the World War, and the United States was

fighting. This country needed a lot of manpower, so they let

a lot of undocumented people in to work here because they

needed to sustain the jobs here so that the country would

survive. Because of this, there were many undocumented people

here. When the war finished, the excuse they gave was that

because the soldiers were returning here, they didn't need

undocumented workers, so there were raids to return all the

undocumented people and the families that had these

groupings, including American citizens, and they sent us back

to our countries. That happened when I was a child. Now the

same thing is repeating but with a different excuse--now it's

the economy, that's why they're sending them back to their

countries. This thing is that people who are not from here

are returning, they're returning to their families, their

children, who are American citizens. Sometimes they deport

the father or the mother or a few times both, and the kids

stay separated from their parents. In this country it is

presumed that families should be together, but for

undocumented people, we're not given what everyone says we

should have. What I'm saying here is that we have been living

in this country for many, many years, so we need to do

something. There needs to be reform to the existing

immigration laws. We need to fight for immigration reform

that can fix the existing problems, so that they can classify

undocumented people who are here and unite families so that

all the injustices that are occurring can stop. If you don't

have a license, you're a criminal and they deport you. They

separate families, and the kids are the ones that suffer. Now

that President Obama was reelected, there a lot of

possibility for immigration reform, but what do we have to

do? We need to unite to achieve just reform in a way that

everyone, or the majority, can qualify to receive their

documents and can be here legally.

Story 12: More than anything for me, I'd like them to give

us the chance to visit our families and to be able to move,

for work if not for anything else. We hope that there will be

something that benefits all of us, not just me, but for

everyone that needs it. I've been in the country for 12 years

and until now we've been doing well, but because we don't

have licenses, we can't go anywhere easily. But, as far as

work and everything else we are all well, thank God.

Story 13: I'm from Puerto Rico, and I live in Miami. I

joined the caravan [organized by the Florida Immigrant

Coalition to support immigration reform] because since I

arrived in this country, I knew something was not right.

There's a community of 11 million people that work hard for

their country, this country, my country, but my country is

punishing them. These people aren't criminals. I've met so

many of them through the caravan and they are farmworkers--

maybe they're kicking them out because of that, because

they're not engineers, or doctors--but these are the people

that put my breakfast on the table every morning.

Like I said, I'm from Miami, and all I have to do is go to

the grocery store and buy some oranges. But I've met a lot of

people that get up when the sun comes out, go to bed when the

sun goes down, and on top of paying them so little, the city

is trying to kick them out. When I was in school, I was

taught the word ``democracy.'' My teacher taught me that in a

democracy, as long as you do right, things will turn out

right for you. And I'm seeing a lot of people that are doing

things right but things are going right simply because they

came from another place. Like I said earlier, it really hurts

me to see someone from Mexico, or Peru, from wherever, that

the department of immigration, local police, the federal

government, sometimes President Obama, sometimes Republicans,

sometimes Democrats treat them like less. I'm Puerto Rican,

I'm an American citizen, and I am nothing better than these

people. These people are so humble and work hard just like

me, and this is what brings me to causes like this one. I met

a young man who's Mexican who's hanging out with us, he has

four children, he's incredibly humble, and he's a hard

worker. The only crime he's done is to wake up every morning,

go home every night, and put food on the table. That's his

only crime, to put food on the table, to feed his kids who

are U.S. citizens. Four kids that if they were to deport

their dad, the kids would end up orphans. And it seems to me

the government doesn't have an interest in more orphaned

kids, the Department of Children and Families isn't asking

for more orphans. You would think the government would want

less.

Story 14: I am here as a volunteer in the movement because,

well, right now I personally work with immigrant families and

see the destruction that exists in families, separating and

deporting parents, including citizens who have children born

here and those children are still suffering the consequences.

And, personally, I have a daughter in Mexico and one in

California. My daughter who is in California is illegal as

well, unfortunately. And my daughter who is in Mexico does

not have the same opportunities as my daughter here. I

haven't seen my daughter or her family in 18 years. My

grandchildren in California do not know my grandchildren in

Mexico, and it is a very great sadness that I carry. Every

time I look at the separated families, even though it hasn't

affected me directly if, for example, my son or my husband

were the deported, the fact that my daughters have not seen

each other for so many years, that my grandchildren will not

know each other each other-- it hurts. I see so many families

dealing with this type of separation in my daily work. These

families ask me for help because they know I can help them

with transportation, translation, or filling out paperwork.

But unfortunately I cannot do much for them, even though I

whole-heartedly want to. I do what I can but others can do

more. I am in this caravan hoping that immigration reform can

benefit all families, including mine.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize November as the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of the Florida Keys Month.

Twenty-nine years ago, VNA Hospice of the Florida Keys began providing specialized home health care services to the residents of Monroe County. Today, thanks to the organization's continued and dedicated service, it stands as a beacon in the home health care industry.

The work they do is vital in empowering patients to live their lives fully and providing comfort in their time of need. Home health care services provide essential benefits to my community and those across the country. The VNA Hospice, for instance, has donated almost half a million dollars in charity care to residents in my district over the last two years alone. In celebration of November, Home Care and Hospice Month, I would like to extend my congratulations and sincere thanks to the VNA Hospice for 29 years of excellent service.

Mr. Speaker, the following are stories of individuals affected by our nation's broken immigration system:

Story 1: Legalization is necessary. There are many things

that people don't know that the authorities do. In my case,

I've lived through three or four accidents that I saw, and I

am the only one who saw and I didn't testify because I'm

scared. I think that because of that they closed a lot of

cases. I'd like something to be done. Also, at work, there

are three or four companies that haven't paid me and

discriminate in a lot of things that happen. We, who work

with meat, know a lot of things that aren't easy to say to

anyone for fear of what that information would do and because

of that, reform is necessary.

I'm Mexican and I've been here for 21 years. Ultimately,

the truth that I've seen a lot of things that shouldn't exist

for human beings to practice these types of things. Because

realistically, all of us deserve to live as best as possible

and I think that there is a way that we can live and do

whatever type of work, without being treated the way they

treat us. We want to be welcome wherever we want to go.

Story 2: I arrived in the United States approximately 25

years ago. Thank God I am now an American citizen, but I have

many friends who suffer because they do not have their

documents. One of the hardships is that they are not allowed

to work or go to many places. For example, there are jobs

that they are able to do, but they're not allowed into those

places. So they can make $20 or $25 per hour, but they're

making $15 or less because they can't go to the place, even

though they can do the job. So I say yes to immigration

reform because it helps the government as well. The

government makes money for giving out papers. People are

going to buy cars, they're going to buy houses, they're going

to travel within the United States. So, the money that

they're going to pay to get their papers is more than they

contribute to the United States now. They will travel to

their home countries to visit their parents, their siblings--

I think that will be something very good for the country as

well.

Story 3: I arrived 22 years ago from San Marcos, Guatemala.

Thank God we had the opportunity to have papers, but we are

here to support our people. We want everyone to be equal and

to have the opportunity that we had. So it is great that

there is a possibility at reform for all. The only thing we

can do is support in any way we can--by meeting and being

with them. I think that people can work legally and do many

things.

Story 4: I'm from Guatemala. I've been here with my wife

for nine years and we are nothing in this country. We came

here for the purpose of allowing our family to succeed. In

Guatemala, the circumstances over there don't allow for

success. For that reason, we came here to have a life a

little better than what we had there. All we are asking is

for the Senators and the people listening to this recording

to support us because the majority of Hispanics that are in

the United States are here to work and support this country.

For that, we want to be heard and we want to say yes. We want

to arrive to citizenship because we need it. You see on TV

and in the news that many families are suffering and many

families are crying. There have been many deportations, and

we don't want that that continue. We want all families to

feel happy and live happily here, but they're scared. We

don't want people to continue living in fear. For that we

make the invitation to collaborate, because everything we can

do, we will do. We don't want racism, for example. Here there

are various nationalities from various countries, and we are

unified for this cause. We will continue uniting, for

whatever work there is. I work in landscaping, cutting

branches on trees, on palms, cleaning gardens. Right now, we

don't have kids and my wife and I have been married for seven

years.

Story 5: I am originally from Guatemala. I immigrated to

the United States in 1987 at age 18. I turned 18 while

crossing the desert. There I celebrated my birthday. From

there I went to work on a farm for three or four years. In

that time, the situation was much more difficult, but I had

the opportunity to work in different jobs. Around that time I

was a beneficiary of the NACARA law, which allowed me to

apply. I saw that the NACARA law benefitted me a lot because

I was able to have some economic stability for my family. I

have been married for 22 years, and I have a 19-year-old son.

The NACARA law has always helped me, so of course I feel like

there is a need for immigration reform because it would

benefit my community so much. The people who are here can

grow economically and help their families. They can create

businesses and jobs in our country. That is why people

emigrate here, because there are no jobs in their home

countries. I don't know, governments don't invest in creating

jobs and so people in immigration limbo don't want to invest

because they don't know what will happen. I feel that it's a

necessity, and I think we deserve it. We are working people.

The majority that come here come for work. We don't come for

public benefits. In my community, very few are the type to

try to get social assistance. The majority, like my case,

came and paid taxes, and they have been paying taxes since

coming to the United States.

They deported me in 1987 after I was detained in Krome. I

was held in Krome for a month or a month and a half before

they sent me to my land. It's very frustrating, because I'm

from a town very far from the capital. At that time, it was

about eight hours

by truck. I didn't know anything when I arrived. I was in a

city I had never been to before. It was very difficult, but I

didn't turn back because I had no alternative. There was no

work. I graduated with my Master's degree and came back here

because there were no job opportunities there and because the

political situation was very hard.

Story 6: I've been in this country 17 years. I came alone,

made my family here, so for sure my wife is here by my side.

I have two daughters, one who is 13 years old, and I still

have no papers. But I've kept going because now I have no

choice but to keep fighting harder, for my daughters' benefit

more than anything. I'm working and, I don't know, I hope

that this immigration reform that they're fighting over will

be given to us because it will allow us to benefit the

country. For me and my kids, immigration reform will give

them greater security to have their parents here in this

country without having to hide from immigration and the

police. For work, I can't drive a truck to get to my job. I

have to go with someone that has a license to drive, and it's

very much the difference in salary, even though I know the

work and everything, it's a point less for me. That is the

first thing for me. I want to buy a car or something that can

benefit me and my family and help me to do my duty for this

country. Up until now I've tried to not put myself into

problems. I try not to go out too much or go to parties and

things like that. I'm over that, and I'd rather be with my

family and without any problems. But, I can't go wherever I

want. My wife has family here, they all have papers. I

haven't seen my family in 16 or 17 years. My boss fired me

and I'd like to go to Mexico, but I can't because I wouldn't

be able to come back. I have no other choice but to stay for

my kids.

Story 7: I'm a little nervous because my story is sad, but

I'm now happy because I am without problems, without any

preoccupation. They confused me with a certain person, but I

never robbed anyone and I always maintained that it wasn't

me. They received the evidence from the other person, it was

very sad and painful, and because being in prison is not easy

at all and is very unpleasant. It's very sad for people as

well as their families. My family worried day and night, and

I was wondering that I that I wouldn't get out, but with the

will of God I got out with a $7,500 bail. I had about four

court dates. They sent me to Krome, and from there I told the

judge to give me voluntary leave to my country. When I left,

they told me that I had to report to Mexican immigration. I

went and entered and delivered a paper that they gave me, but

I always knew that I wanted to return. I was in my country

for a month, and then came back. Since then, thank God, I

have not gotten in trouble. I don't drive, and I don't do

anything because I am holding out because if God helps us

with this reform we will come out ahead. Firstly to God, we

ask a lot, to the congressmen, to the Senate and the

President, that they have a lot of consideration for so many

people who need equality. I came in April of 1990. I am

Mexican, and all my siblings are citizens. I'm the only one

who is not. I hope for the day when I can be equal to

everyone else.

Story 8: I'm a mother of two children who were born here in

Florida. They deported my husband to Guatemala five years

ago. We are united and want to ask Congress and the White

House to support us, that yes we can, that now is the time

for them to give us immigration reform. We are encountering

many families going through difficult situations and we ask,

we beg, we ask wholeheartedly, that we are supported in this

country. All of us immigrants reinforce this country's

economy. We beg that they give us immigration reform. They

stopped my husband and asked for a license, which he didn't

have. That was the reason they deported him. It's a very

difficult case and my kids suffer a lot from the absence of

their father.

Story 9: I support immigration reform because I've

encountered those problems. When I didn't have papers, I was

always living in hiding and I do not want others to go

through the same problem. I wish that everyone could have

their papers to live in peace and tranquility.

Story 10: I am an American citizen and I want to remind the

Congressmen of the United States that my vote will go to the

people who have humanity when it's time to decide on

immigration reform. Make it a humane immigration reform, not

one based on the whims of Congressmen. My vote will always be

for the humane Congressmen. Immigration reform will help all

those that don't have papers or a path to citizenship. We

remember that there should be a path to citizenship with a

quick process, not like what Senator Marco Rubio and his

colleagues want. We will always vote against the people who

think like that.

Story 11: I'm Nicaraguan. I am 35 years old and came to

this country 13 years ago. My dream is to bring my family to

the United States. I came with just that one goal because the

democratic system in my country doesn't work. I've lived

through many hardships and because of those I immigrated to

the United States. Now with 13 years here, we ask for

immigration reform and the opportunity for citizenship

because we want to be incorporated into society. We want to

be a part of it. We want the opportunity to vote, to apply to

whatever we need. Immigration reform will be good for the

country as well as for us if we can contribute. My dream is

to buy my house and continue in my studies because I don't

want to stay stagnant. I want to move my daughters forward. I

have two daughters; one was born in Nicaragua and the other

is an American citizen who was born in this country. I can't

imagine returning to my country, I don't have any plans to do

so. I hope that the legislators and President Obama support

reform, because now we are ready to be a part of this great

country.

Story 12: I've been here for 12 years, going on 13, and I

brought my two daughters, when one was two and a half and the

other was a year old. They believe that this is their

country, and I do as well. I came here and we liked it. We

came from my country because life is very difficult there.

Now there's a lot of crime. I am Mexican and it is very hard

to live there now. My daughters don't want to return to

Mexico because of everything we've seen over there--a lot of

crime, a lot of killing. There's no work, no way to move

forward. My daughters say that this is their country, they

are Mexican but they are home. They speak English and Spanish

very well, but they say that all they know is this country.

So I say yes to citizenship for all the people that are like

me in this country. We don't have licenses to work or to even

look for a job. I had a job and some people did me harm. They

sent me a letter and fired me from the job, and now I am

unemployed. I need to work to help my daughters get ahead,

and so I say that now is the time that we help all people,

the 11 million undocumented people in this country. We came

for honest work. We came to do the jobs that many people

won't do. Please, it is the time for citizenship, something

so we can be okay here and so we don't have to go somewhere

and be afraid that they'll stop the bus where we are, that

they take us to immigration and deport us while my daughters

are in school. It's an ugly and sad thing, and I say yes that

now is the time for immigration reform. To the Senators and

all the people hearing this message, please help us for the

immigration reform that we are all hoping for and we hope

that this is the year that it happens.

Story 13: I'm Nicaraguan and got TPS in 1998. I had a

problem. A policeman gave me a DUI because I had a neck

problem. I lost consciousness because of the medicine that I

took, which was not supposed to be taken while driving, but I

did it because I needed to pick up some money urgently. I say

yes to citizenship. Right now I am in a limbo because of my

immigration status. They removed my TPS. After they removed

my TPS, I was sent to immigration court with a lawyer who

told me to apply for political asylum. But they didn't

approve it and asked me for voluntary departure. Every day I

feel that, if they get me, I am going to be deported to my

country. Now I have 16 years working here contributing to the

productivity and economy of this country. I have worked

honestly. The problem I had was because I wasn't well

represented in court about the DUI. I paid lawyers but it was

useless for me because they were not able to defend me. I

have evidence that proves that the police gave false

evidence. I was an industrial electrical engineer in my

country, and I intend to work with dignity, honesty, with the

sweat of my brow to succeed, because if I go back to my

country, I have no chance of surviving there.

Story 14: I arrived in the United States in 1985 to study.

I have three kids, and we and need immigration reform.

Please. In the name of God, we need this reform because it is

hard not having a license.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce.

Over the past twenty years, the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of South Florida has been an important partner for promoting business, driving job creation, and supporting economic development in South Florida. Through partnerships with the Miami-Dade County Office of Public Housing and Community Development, the members of the Chamber help create much needed jobs and advance community development.

This organization strives to support entrepreneurship and innovation for Puerto Ricans and Hispanics in both South Florida and Puerto Rico. As our economy in South Florida continues to recover from the recession, the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce serves as a leader in strengthening the economic foundation of our communities.

I hope you will join me in commending the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of South Florida on twenty years of outstanding advocacy and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his bold leadership and commitment to public service.

President Santos began his distinguished career in public service when he served as the first-ever Minister of Foreign Trade. In this capacity, President Santos tirelessly sought to bring a higher quality of life to the people of Colombia by expanding trade and promoting economic prosperity. As the Minister of Foreign Trade, President Santos's strong leadership allowed him to successfully establish Colombia as a rising international economic force.

After founding the Social Party of National Unity, which is now Colombia's largest political party, President Santos served as the Minister of Defense. Thanks to his steadfast leadership and commitment, President Santos helped weaken dangerous guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

President Santos's achievements as a national leader are undoubtedly worthy of our admiration. I commend him for an impressive career and applaud his lifelong dedication to his country.

Mr. Speaker, the following are stories of individuals affected by our Nation's broken immigration system:

Story 1: I came to the U.S. from Nicaragua when I was six

years old along with my younger brother. When we first got to

the U.S. it was really exciting for us--first of all boarding

the plane and just trying to, you know, fulfill our

curiosity, and putting our fingers wherever we can, touching

everything that was shiny. And we were even more amazed when

we got out of the airplane and saw the moving escalators that

we'd never seen before. And we actually thought that we were

at Disney World at that point (laughter)! It turned out that

we weren't in Disney World when we got off the plane, but we

did go to Disney World the same week we got here.

So everything was real bright and hopeful when we first got

to the U.S. We came on a visa which expired after six months.

Mom was with her boyfriend whom she had a daughter with, and

so we all lived together for quite a while until her

boyfriend started drinking and abusing alcohol. My Mom's

boyfriend would abuse her and hit her and pretty much

victimize her constantly. There came a point when me and my

brother were coming home from school, which was right next

door to our house, a trailer, and we saw that as we were

walking toward the garage, it just looked like a robbery.

My Mom's boyfriend came out in boxers, and he looked out of

it. His eyes were red and he was just saying all these crazy

things--``Oh, your Mom this,'' and ``your Mom that,'' but my

Mom wasn't there at the time. My Mom pulled up in her car.

She went to our rooms and got as much clothes as she could,

and then she put us in her car and put our seatbelts on. As

she was putting the keys in the ignition to drive off and

flee, he got in front of her car and called the police. When

my Mom heard the police sirens, her instinct was to protect

us and to keep us together. She was trying to hide so the

police wouldn't catch us, and so we were running behind other

trailers but eventually we had to stop. And that was when

police officers came around and put her in handcuffs, and we

were watching this.

And my Mom, like, she just collapsed, pretty much, when all

of this was happening, and we saw tears in her eyes.

And so I figured, you know, I know who the victim is here.

I expected the police officer to do the right thing and

protect my Mom, things like that. But because my Mom was

fearful, and because she had no status, she didn't speak up

and all. She was she was crying and bawling inside the car.

So she was unfairly detained that day. But moving fast

forward, after she got out of jail for that, like the next

day, my Mom became a strong and independent woman. She

started working harder, and we had our own apartment without

her boyfriend. It was just so peaceful when we were together.

We'd watch movies together--she loved comedies, so we were

always watching comedy movies. We would take turns cooking,

sometimes. Everything was really good, to us, after that

incident.

But that incident followed her until a day that we were

around 10th grade. She was pulled over for driving without a

license, and because of those charges they arrested her too.

We were at home, right, expecting her to come at 11:00 p.m.,

which was when her shift ended at the gas station that she

worked at. We were watching the clock, and we were like ``oh,

it's 11, she should be home anytime now,'' and then it became

11:30 and our eyes were still wide open, until 11:45 and

11:50 when we just fell asleep. We woke up late the next day;

it was a school day and she, she wasn't there. That was the

craziest experience that we ever had. It was like our mother

was abducted by aliens to us and we were just like, ``Where

is she?'' Our aunt gave us a call: ``Hey your Mom was

arrested for driving without a license.'' That's when my

brother and I immediately were trying to figure out what to

do. I was fifteen years old, and trying to figure out if we

should pay the next month's rent or sell her car to pay an

attorney.

During that period, all the charges were dropped against my

Mom, but they found out about her status and they transferred

her to ICE and then they deported her.

What bothers me the most, and what angered me the most

during this whole ordeal, was that I was never given the

opportunity to say bye to her, to look at her, to hug her, or

to make her a promise that I'll see her again. We didn't have

any form of ID that allowed us to go inside the detention

center. And that's really what has angered me the most and

why I'm at this site, to make that sure no one has to go

through this again.

After my Mom was deported, some of my aunts were

financially struggling themselves, but they offered to take

us in. Unfortunately, due to economic hardships, they

couldn't sustain us. And that's how I ended up in the foster

system with some strangers--with a family I didn't know. To

me it was just truly nerve-wracking. The first night I

couldn't sleep because I didn't know what was going to happen

to me, or who these people were that were in the room with

me. And the reason I felt like I didn't belong there was

because I was never abused or neglected by my Mom. My Mom was

an outstanding woman. Most kids go through the foster system

for that reason--they were either abused, neglected, or

abandoned. That was not the case for me. So I ended up there

and now I've aged out of the foster care. I'm 18, I live

alone, and it's difficult to come home and not have my family

to tell them, ``Hey, this is how my day went,'' or ``Hey, I

had a bad day, let's talk about it.'' It's really tough.

Story 2: My dream is to be a citizen of this country

because I came here when I was three months old. I am now

twenty-one, almost twenty-two, so that is almost my whole

life. CIR would change my live and my family's because I have

seen my parents suffer and work so hard every day of their

life in the sun and see the struggle that they're in and

provide a better future for them to see the happiness in

their eyes because they haven't seen their families in 15

years and it hurts me because I know that I haven't seen my

mom or my dad it would be so hard. I want to see them happy

one day and reunited with their families and for them to come

back without the worry of being sent home. I have much hope

that this will come very soon.

Story 3: I am originally from Cuba. I came in the sixties

and for over 10 years I have been involved with immigration

issues. For Cubans, you know, it has always been easy to get

the papers in order, but I think the system is very unfair

for the other immigrants. Other immigrants come here for

various reasons, mostly because of the poverty in their homes

and the political situations from their home land. And they

are always being created by the government of the United

States and the corporations of the United States with the

help of the government. Especially comparing the Cubans with

the Haitian people and the wet foot, dry foot--to us, we call

it, white foot, black foot. The Haitian people need--just as

much as the Cubans--to be accepted by this country and be

allowed to come. The policy of the United States is wrong,

you know, saying that the situation with the Cubans is

political as they are suppressed by a communist government

but Haiti supposedly is being run by democratic governments

which is not true, they have a lot of dictators there. And a

lot of pressure and interference from the United States. So

it is political too, besides the poverty that's been created

there, so they should be treated just like Cubans. Other

immigrants--they should be treated the same. Stop the

restriction they got making it hard for families to reunite.

Senator Marco Rubio said he approves of immigration reform if

they come here legally and wait in the line, but people have

been waiting 15-20 years in the line. That's not fair.

Besides we give this wrong sense of reality of what's going

on in this country because we export movies and TV shows

where everybody lives in fabulous mansions, got great jobs,

fancy cars, and when they come here they find that the land

of the dream is nothing but the land of the nightmare.

Story 4: I've been in this country for 14 years. My kids

were born here, we're a part of this country. I pay taxes,

we're part of the country's economy. We haven't committed any

crimes. We drive a car without insurance. I think that that's

bad for the country's economy. There are 12 million [people]

driving without insurance. I think that being able to have a

license is a good option and that residency should come with

a path to citizenship. Us immigrant believe that we are

helping the country. I don't see any reason for not wanting

to make a path to citizenship. We have a clean record, we've

bought property. I think we'd all be better off financially

by contributing to this country, it's healthy for the

country. We hope that Senator Marco Rubio understands a

little of the problem.

Story 5: My dream is for immigration reform because

immigration reform will allow me to attend any college I

choose and to have a bigger dream than my parents had.

Story 6: Immigration reform will change my life because it

will give me reassurance that my friend will not be deported.

Story 7: I'm an aspiring student. A pathway to citizenship

will allow everyone to pursue their dreams.

Story 8: For the past two years I have been trying to renew

my driver's license, but I have not been successful. I am

required to present additional immigration documents that I

am not eligible to have.

A few days ago I was given a ticket for driving without

proper ID. Today I am limiting my driving as much as I

possibly can. What you need to understand is that we have

been living in Miami for the past 17 years and have been

running our family business in Miami for the past eight

years.

If I don't have the freedom to drive around, I am afraid

that our family business will suffer to the point that we as

a family will not be able to sustain ourselves.

Story 9: I came to the United States 17 years ago. I

applied for political asylum and was denied. Without

realizing it, I had a deportation order and I was very

scared. I have a young child and am wishing for comprehensive

immigration reform for the single moms, for the moms that

have young children, because it makes me scared to leave my

child. I'm hoping for immigration reform for all the women

out there that work as housekeepers, maids, etc., and also

for folks with deportation orders that have small children

and can't leave them. This is the best place for them, and

they can't go back. I'm hoping it will help all of us too.

Thank you very much.

Story 10: I've been an American citizen for more than 20

years. I became one in Chicago. There are so many things that

we are hearing every day dealing with immigrants and the

manner in which immigrants are abused because they're farmers

and unfortunately undocumented. We hear about the suffering

of these poor people who are my race too. It's an explosion

from both political parties--Democrats and Republicans.

Immigrants have been abused constantly since when I was

young. Now I'm 74 years old. The suffering these people have

gone and are going through is inhumane. What they're doing to

my people is criminal. That's why I'm fully in favor of them

becoming citizens as soon as possible. Thank you very much.

Story 11: I live in Lakeland, Florida. I'm Mexican, and I

have lived in here for over 23 years. My four children are

citizens, and I have my house paid for 14 years. My problem

is immigration. I worked many years as a farm worker, but one

day I looked for work in construction. After starting

construction work, the boss told us that we have to give

fingerprints. But what happened? A week later they called me

to come back because something had come up. I went back and

they told me ``Just wait here. Something went wrong.'' Then

came two police officers to interview me. They said, ``I want

to see the tattoos you have.'' I told them, ``I have no

tattoos, sir.'' They were confusing me with someone else and

there began my problem. I was in jail for six days.

Immigration takes its inmates to Tampa around 6:00 a.m.

There, I set a bail of $1,500, and I was let go. But my

problem is still pending. And again, I am looking for a

better job. Now I have a deportation order for May 7, and if

nobody helps me I'll be deported. So I ask the Senator Marco

Rubio and Congressman Dennis Ross please say yes to

immigration reform, no more for me but for thousands of

undocumented families who are here. I do not want to see them

go through the same problem I'm having. Thank you very much.

Update: He received a stay of removal from Immigration and

Customs Enforcement. He applied for a work permit and

driver's license after receiving the notification. The fear

of being separated from his family has been lifted, at least

temporarily.

Story 12: I agree to the legalizing 11 million illegal

immigrants. They have the right to remain in this country

because many have brought their families, their children have

grown up here, and they already have American ways. Take my

case, for example--I came to this country for education and

for a better life for my family. I went without seeing my

daughter for years, but once I became a resident I was able

to request her. It is for this reason that I agree that

illegal immigrants and their families should receive their

documents and live more peacefully. Living anxiously and not

having status is horrible. I support all people of good will

to resolve their immigration status.

Story 13: I'm Mexican. I came to the U.S. eight years ago

following my husband. He has lived here for 25 years. We have

three children, two living in Mexico and one living with us

here in the U.S. Although not born here, he does not know any

country other than this one. Since I arrived here, I have

served as a volunteer at my son's school. I know all the work

that teachers do in Mexico because I worked as a teacher for

20 years. I have 20 years of experience, but here for lack of

papers, I had to work as a maid. I want immigration reform to

pass.

Story 14: I say yes to citizenship and residence. My mom is

a person of 72 years. She must have psychiatric treatment

because of her depression, which is caused by the fact that

one of my brothers, who is 45, cannot be a resident, even

though he has lived here for more than 10 years. The reform

[Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] is only for young

people. Then I have another brother who is a citizen and has

been diagnosed with colon cancer. For these reasons we need

my brother to stay with us. He is the only one that does not

have papers. I think there should be a reform as soon as

possible.

Story 15: I say yes to citizenship. I came here in 2001

with my tourist visa and my daughter. She came on the same

visa with me. She grew up here during the past 12 years, but

she is now back in Ecuador. My driver's license expired in

2006, so now I am frustrated because I cannot drive. I am a

very good-hearted person and have a lot of creativity. I have

been working with Amway, and I pay my taxes. I would like to

go out and drive and have clients. I have been very obedient.

I have not driven. Instead, I have my bike and I go by buses.

My daughter was so frustrated that she went back to Ecuador

two years ago. She loves this country as I love this country.

We help people so I am prepared to help people in very good

ways.

Mr. Speaker, the following are stories of individuals affected by our nation's broken immigration system:

Story 1: I came to this country in 1980 with the desire

that all immigrants have--to seek better opportunities. I

worked very hard to make my way in this country. I had the

opportunity to apply for residency, thanks to the amnesty by

President Ronald Reagan and the laws of this country. I

presented the evidence required by the immigration process

and my request was approved, giving me the temporary

residence and my social security number.

After two years, I had to change from temporary residence

to permanent residence, so I just had to request the change

of status at any immigration office. I even was able to

travel to Ecuador, and Immigration stamped my passport. Then,

because my process was done in New Jersey but I had moved to

Miami for personal reasons, in 1990 I went to the Immigration

office in Miami. Since then, I have been subjected to

negligence by Immigration. Instead of giving me the permanent

residence, they just put a sticker to validate my temporary

residence for one year more. That happened again the

following year, and the third consecutive year after that.

Then, they didn't want to give me the residency, because they

said that LULAC cases in Miami had been fraudulent, to which

I responded that actually my case had been in New Jersey.

They said that I had to bring my case from New Jersey to

Miami, which took three more years After that, I started

wondering what was wrong with my case. They always responded

to me with endless excuses: a fire took place at an

immigration office and a lot of information was damaged,

paperwork became too backed up when they had to put all the

information of all cases in a computer system, elections were

taking place, I needed to complete and return another form

and get fingerprinted. I completed and returned the form,

then I was fingerprinted and had to wait more. I trusted the

agents of this country and the laws, so I waited and waited.

They asked me to fill out another form and so on and on. I

sent three forms and fingerprints but nothing happened.

Then the attacks on September 11, 2001, happened, which

made things worse. There was no news at all. An executive

order by President George Bush was released, ordering that

immigration documents should be given to people who got

Reagan's reform. I presented it and nothing happened. I

called two or three times every months asking about my case

and nothing happened. I was told that the process took up to

six months, but I already had spent two years waiting and

nothing. In 2005, I found out about a brain tumor through my

medical exams. I received surgery and after that I couldn't

work so I lived in a critical economic situation. I lost

everything I had. That same year, there was another executive

order request to resolve immigration cases because of the

many complaints from victims of the immigration service. I

sent documentation by mail to the correct address and on

time, and they rejected it three times. I found an honest

lawyer that took the case (pro bono, because of my financial

situation), and from there I had legal representation. We

sent copies of the pages with the LULAC law, and we always

got negative responses, so we filed appeals but received

again negative responses. They asked me for proofs that were

impossible to find after 23 years, but nevertheless I was

able to find some. All of this just to make me lose the hope

of solving my case.

In the last response not only did they deny my case, but

also they took away my temporary residence. I demand my

permanent residency and a path to citizenship without more

delay, because I have tried for over 24 years with my

residency, in the name of God, Jehovah, and the signed and

executed laws of this country. Don't allow injustice to win

in this country. You are politicians first for this country.

Story 2: Alex came here when he was very young. He's from

Honduras. Honduras is a very poor country. His family is very

poor, but he speaks fairly fluent English. He came here to

get a better life. There's no work in Honduras and very high

crime. He came here when he was probably 17 or 18 years old.

He hitched rides on trains, travelling on boxcars with only

the clothes he had and no money. So, he basically crossed

three countries, I believe Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico. When

he got to this country, of course he came here illegally, but

he ended up in Virginia and he then went to Knoxville,

Tennessee. During the time he was in Virginia and Tennessee,

he was greatly exploited by people who had him working for

them. He was all alone. He had no relatives and did not know

anyone here in the United States. He met a girl, who was

maybe four or five years older than him. She already had one

child by a man from Honduras. She and Alex hooked up together

and she got pregnant by Alex. They came down here to

Pensacola after Hurricane Ivan, that's when I met Alex. By

that time, he had married the girl. They had her child, and

two children that they had together.

Alex was a great worker. I met him, actually, through a

neighbor who he had worked for. So, we became friends. For a

while there, I was in a wheelchair and Alex took care of me.

He's just an incredible person. He just seems to have been

born knowing what to do with children. He was a great father.

He was great with older people and with people who have

disabilities. He loved animals; he was constantly rescuing

animals.

He came home one day, and when he got out of his car to

walk into his house a police officer or sheriff's deputy, I'm

not sure which, approached him and asked him for his ID and

driver's license. He did not have a driver's license. He did

have a previous traffic violation that he had not paid, again

it was probably for driving without a license, so he was

arrested. When he was taken to the Escambia County Jail,

within a week, the ICE came through the jail making a sweep,

looking for undocumented people, and they found Alex. From

that time, Alex never got out of jail. He served a sentence,

a short sentence for the traffic violation. He was

subsequently sent to prison or a holding area in Texas where

they incarcerate undocumented people. In the mean time, he

had had another baby before he got arrested, so now they had

three children and the little baby was only about, maybe,

four months old at that time. As a result of Alex not being

around to help financially take care of the children, his

wife had a nervous breakdown and could not take care of the

children and so she turned them in to foster care. The foster

care mother, who got the children, I believe, got them with

the full intent of adopting them because she knew these

children from their nursery school. Alex has not seen his

children since, and this has been about two and a half years

ago. But, what he did do is he tried every way he could to

get his children back; to get his children allowed to go to

Honduras with him. He wrote numerous letters to his children.

He sent those letters to me and I would send them to an

attorney who was supposedly representing him in a dependency

case. It became obvious to me that the foster mother was not

letting the children read the letters that Alex wrote to

them. He also was not allowed to call the children. She did

not want him talking to his children, so he was not allowed

to talk to them on the phone, they were not allowed to see

his letters, he was not allowed to have any communication

with his children. He eventually got deported. He continued

trying to get his lawyer here to help him communicate with

the children and to get a home study done there in Honduras

in order for him to get his children back.

What I'm going to read are some letters to give you an

example of the types of letters he wrote his children. After

he was deported, he came back to the United States again. He

came back on a train, hiking trains, riding on boxcars, going

through three countries, no money, just the clothes on his

back. He crossed the border and was apprehended by the border

guards within minutes, so again he was in jail. But he came

back only for one reason, and that was to get his children. I

believe that was his only hope of getting his children back,

was coming back to the United States.

It says, in beautiful writing, stylized writing, it says,

``I love you,'' it says, ``with all my heart. You are in my

mind. I'm trying to be with all of you. But it's only me and

God. I hope these people here let me stay with you because I

really want and love you all. I hope you all like this.

Kisses, hugs, love, your papa.'' I can't read anymore.

So, that's all I'm going to read, Alex.

Alex: Yeah, I know and I've been thinking about them and

this thing, you know. But, there's nothing I can do, so maybe

I'll see them one day

Well, I don't know what we can do, but we certainly are

going to let people know what happened to you, okay?

Alex: Yeah And, hopefully, we can do something with your

book, and at least, maybe one day, when they're older, I

believe they will find you and this book. They will know how

much you love them and that you fought for them and what you

went through to get them back.

Story 3: My story begins in 1998 when my mom and my three

sisters decided to come, well, my mom decided that we all

would come to the United States as a result of my little

sister being sick. We did not have the money to cure her. She

needed surgery and stuff. I was in high school and had no

money for college, even though education was one of the

things that made my mom determined that we come to America.

So then I came to Mexico with my mom and my three sisters. In

1998 we crossed through Arizona and arrived in Florida about

two weeks later. When I got here, the obvious thing was for

me to study. My goal was always only to collect enough money

to pay my university in Mexico. Once we got here we found

work, but I had an accident about three months after I got

here and then for a while, like a year and a half, I had to

go and live in Colorado with my brother because I could not

work. I had an accident at work and I never got compensation

or anything. I have hands that do not work very well, mostly

my fingers, because I had to have a transplant in my hands

because I lost part of my bones and tendons in the accident.

There are many who are injured on the job and are entitled to

be served, to receive therapies and receive a salary. But at

the time I was a child, I was 18 if I remember correctly, and

I had not filed an application. It was just one of those jobs

where you say you go, then the company denied that I had

registered, but I said, ``If I was taken from there, the fire

department took me out of work,'' but I did not have

insurance, I did not have a social worker to help me, I had

no one. I had to pay all expenses. I did not know the

language or the laws. I came across a social worker when I

was in the hospital and they told me that if I tried to do

something with the company all that would happen was that

I would be deported. What remained was a deep depression

after the accident because I could not work and was in

therapy for over a year. But I still had the dream of

wanting to study. Then I had to learn to deal with my

condition, not being stuck at this point. Since my

accident, I could not carry heavy things when I was at

work, but I still had to work. I try to do everything with

one hand because I cannot put much weight on the other

hand. Right now I live with someone and I have two small

children, one age six and one four, and I live with my

sister. All my immediate family is in the United States.

My mom passed away about twelve or thirteen years ago and

is buried here in Florida. I say deport me if I'm not

going to have even the right to visit the grave of my

mother. This is not politics, these are human lives. Maybe

I do not speak perfect English, or write perfect English,

but my life is in this country. If I were deported to

Mexico I will be foreign in that country, because I

already have been living here for many years. I have no

family there, it's like I will be tossed into a city I do

not know. My sister took care of her residence when my

brother-in-law married her. I have a U.S. citizen sister

who was born in this country, and my other sister, Andrea,

was still a minor when my mother died. Of all my siblings,

I am the only one who does not have legal status. I have

an application but that supposedly takes many years and I

have gotten no response. This is not politics; we are

human beings of flesh and blood. For many it is very easy

to say why we came here illegally, they don't see the need

to leave our home countries. They do not know what it is

to have someone get sick and not have to medicine. They do

not know what it is to go three days without eating. This

is not politics, these are human lives.

Story 4: I came to the United States 13 years ago. I am

undocumented, I have two kids, one who was born here. I'm

with my husband. We fled from Nicaragua because even though

the Sandinista government was in power, there was still a

threat from the mobs, and our lives were in danger. It's for

that reason that we decided to come to this country. We asked

for political asylum, for which we were denied, because

according to the United States, Nicaragua has a democracy,

which is not true. Everything is limited by the Sandinista

government. I say yes to citizenship and yes to immigration

reform, because I feel a part of this great nation, because I

pay my taxes, because my daughters have adopted this

lifestyle, because my country doesn't have economic

priorities, it doesn't enjoy democracy as it should be. For

those reasons I would like immigration reform. I say yes to

citizenship so I have the ability to buy my house, so I can

keep studying, so that I don't have to be nervous to keep

driving without a license, so that I don't have to keep

having to fear if my husband with come back or if it will be

the last day that we see him. I ask the legislators to give

us the opportunity for a new path to citizenship.

Story 5: I've been living here for 23 years. I came from

Mexico and I've worked very hard in this country. I left

ahead of my family in Mexico. Here too. I'm tired of living

in the shadows. I have a son who is an American citizen, and

I thought that when he turned 21 we could ask immediately,

but that not the case because we came here illegally. I say

yes to citizenship, for everyone like me that has worked

hard, that pays their taxes and that haven't asked the

government for anything. I say yes to give us an opportunity

to move forward.

Story 6: I have 23 years here, and I like that Rep. Dennis

Ross is making laws here that bring people hired from Mexico

to here. That doesn't benefit me because I've been here for

23 years and I want to help people who are here, not the ones

that are going to come. I say yes to reform for the 11

million undocumented people that are here. I'm going through

a problem with immigration. I have for kids who are citizens

here, I have my house, I pay taxes. Unfortunately, if there's

no solution by May 7th, I'll be deported. I ask Denis Ross to

support me with a green card or papers so that I won't be

deported, because I want to see my family united, I don't

want to be separated from my kids so they're not left on

their own.

Story 7: I'm Cuban and I come from the Apopka Farmer's

Association. My goal in participating in the caravan because

I am also an immigrant, even though it's legal, but I'm an

immigrant, my main goal is to support people who are illegal

and are fighting for immigration reform. I understand that

they have come here for work, to give to this country, and

when I think of all of them that have come to contribute to

the society of the United States, they deserve the

right to be a legal citizen.

Story 8: I'm saying yes to citizenship. I'm a social

worker. As a social worker at Hialeah hospital, I came in

contact with a victim of domestic violence. The woman, I

spoke to her, listened to her, built trust with her and I was

able to connect her to a women's shelter. She was, during our

conversation, she was very scared of having contact with the

police because she was undocumented, and it was, you know, I

worked with her and at the end I was able to connect her to

the women's shelter. Her abuser was, he was a citizen, a

Cuban-American or a Cuban citizen, and he would manipulate

her because of her immigration status.

Story 9: Hello, I am saying yes to citizenship and yes to

immigration reform for illegal immigrants here in the United

States. I am a United States citizen and my parents are

illegal immigrants. They've been in this country for about 23

years, 24 years, and usually, I was born in Oregon, and

usually at the age of 21 I believed I would be able to grant

them a path to citizenship. When I turned 20, I started

investigating and talking with lawyers to see how they would

be able to get that accomplished and it turns out that it

wasn't that easy, wasn't that simple and I wasn't able to get

them a path to be a resident, to go ahead with this process

to become a US citizen. It didn't work. I'm just, I've been

time and time again, for every lawyer, kind of lawyers,

immigration lawyers, everything, to marches of, to say yes to

immigration reform and I just feel like right now is the

right time to just keep pushing forward and I say yes to all

the families and everyone. We the immigrants, most

immigrants, everyone's an immigrant in the United States, and

it's just hurtful that those immigrants make up part of this

economy and help with the economic growth and to keep taking

these parents away from their children and keep separating

families, it's not the way this country was built and I'm

just calling to say that I'm saying yes to immigration reform

and yes for a pathway to citizenship for all illegal

immigrants.

Mr. Speaker, the following is one additional story of yet another individual affected by our nation's broken immigration system:

My parents came here 12 years ago from Mexico. I am an

American citizen, but right now I am suffering a lot because

my dad is detained in an immigration jail. I have three

brothers and we all miss my dad very much.

Mr. Speaker, these stories represent but a small cross-section of those suffering as a result of our nation's outdated immigration laws. Millions more remain in the shadows. They all have waited long enough for Congress to act. The time for reform is now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the stories of 65 Floridians whose lives have been profoundly impacted by this House's lack of action on immigration reform. The vast majority of Floridians, like the vast majority of Americans, support comprehensive immigration reform that creates a path to citizenship, secures our borders, and grows our economy.

These stories, collected by the ACLU of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, and other coalition groups from the ``Say Yes'' to Citizenship Campaign, were originally in Spanish, have been edited for length, and have had the names removed so that individuals who had been afraid to speak up could speak freely.

Whether we consider H.R. 15, which I introduced, or another vehicle, we cannot afford to wait any longer. I urge my colleagues to listen to these stories and recognize the real human consequences of our inaction.

Story 1: I met my husband in Colombia. He was on vacation

and he was American. We fell in love and we married in

Colombia.

When I got pregnant, we moved here to the United States

because he wanted his son to grow up here. That was twenty

years ago. We have three kids from our marriage. After my

husband passed away I had to find a job. My English was

minimal and I didn't have any family around to help. I was

cleaning houses in the beginning, and I worked for UPS for

six years. I left UPS and tried to follow my dad's career. He

was a jeweler in Colombia, so I got a job with a local

pawnshop in Jacksonville. I worked for them for four years,

but I got in trouble for purchasing stolen merchandise and

because of my knowledge--they said I should have known about

it being stolen. The items were no more than a thousand

dollars, but they split the items and charged me five times.

I served four days of jail, four months of home arrest, and

nine months of probation. After a year of my life being on

hold and not being able to work and not knowing how to

support my kids, I was obligated to plead guilty so I could

keep going on with my life. I was very blessed and lucky to

find a job where they got to know me and see what kind of

person I am. I have been with them for one and a half years,

and I have been promoted a couple of times. I flew to

Columbia a year ago and when I came back, I was stopped by

immigration in the airport and questioned about what

happened. They told me that, because of the incident and

leaving the county and coming back, they were going to start

the procedure of deportation. They removed my green card and

gave me a temporary green card for one year and I was to hear

about what was going to happen. I've been in this country all

my life. I worked in this county all my life. I have three

American kids. I have a dead American husband. I think I'm

American. I made the mistake of trusting someone and paid the

consequences. I think we deserve another chance.

Story 2: I was born in Brazil. I came at the age of 14. I

am a DREAM Act student. When I first arrived in the U.S., I

learned about the importance of freedom. I learned what it

meant to be an American. For me, those American ideals are

really important. When I decided I was going to marry the

person I love and decided to share the rest of my life with,

I also wanted to fight for our right to be fully recognized

in this county. I am an undocumented immigrant, but my spouse

is a U.S. citizen. The only difference between us and the

rest of our peers is the fact that we are in a same sex

relationship. The inclusion of the Uniting American Families

Act will protect our family from deportation and also our

general well-being. When we saw that Senator Rubio and others

specifically spoke against our family we felt that not all

families were included in immigration reform. It was

extremely outrageous to us to see the Uniting American

Families Act fail in the Judiciary Committee last week. We

hope that Senator Rubio will speak on behalf of the entire

state of Florida, people like me, and also the 67% of Florida

voters who support the inclusion of same sex couples in

immigration reform.

Story 3: I'm an immigrant rights activist and I have been

one for the past five years. I absolutely say yes to

citizenship for the eleven million undocumented immigrants

living in this country. I feel it's imperative that the

government finally takes care of this issue after so many

years. For example in my case, I have been living here for

twenty-three years, but have been undocumented from the age

of two. Right now I want to legalize my status so I can

become an architect, finally realize my dream of becoming a

citizen, and do my best in giving back to this country--the

only country that I really know.

Story 4: I came here from the Bahamas a year and a half ago

searching for a better life and to further my education and

athletic career. I graduated senior high school at the age of

sixteen, and I am now eighteen. Because of my immigration

status I was unable to continue and further my education.

I've had scholarships to the top schools but was unable to

obtain them because of my immigration status, which put part

of my life on hold. I am saying yes to citizenship so I can

be a voice not only for myself, but also for the students

that stand in my shoes.

Story 5: I'm twenty-five years old and from West Palm

Beach, Florida. I've lived here my whole life, and I'm the

second oldest of seven children. All me and my brothers and

sisters are U.S. citizens. We were all born here in the

United States. My dad is Guatemalan--he is an immigrant. And

my mom is Salvadoran--she is also an immigrant. They

immigrated to the United States about twenty-five years ago.

About seven years ago my mom and my dad were both deported at

the same time, on the same day. I was a senior in high

school. I remember the day clearly. I said goodbye to both my

mom and my dad like a normal day. I knew they were going to

immigration court but I never thought that I would never see

them again. That was the last day I saw them. My dad owned

his own company in which he paid taxes. We had everything

that we wanted growing up because my dad worked hard and was

able to own his own business. When my mom and dad were

deported we lost the house that he bought. With the house he

lost the business, and with the business we pretty much lost

everything. It was up to me and my older sister to pretty

much provide everything for my younger brothers and sisters.

From that point on, I was no longer a normal high school

student. I became a father of six, pretty much. My life

changed completely. I had high hopes of one day playing

collegiate soccer and hopefully maybe even one day playing

professional soccer, but those dreams were shattered when my

parents were deported. There was a moment when some of my

brothers and sisters were actually homeless due to the fact

that we lost the company, we lost my parents, and we lost the

house. So we did live on the streets. We lived at hotels

sometimes. It completely destroyed my family. Two years ago

my mom was actually killed due to the violence that people

flee the country for. The first time I saw my mom since the

day that she was deported from this country in five years was

in her coffin for her funeral. That was the first time I ever

saw my mom. I never got the chance to hug my mom or kiss my

mom or say ``hi'' to my mom ever again. She was never a

criminal. She never even got a speeding ticket. Now I live

here with my brothers and sisters, and we get by however we

can. Obviously things are rough. Things are hard, but we're

getting through it. It saddens me every day to know that the

fact that my parents were deported broke a happy family, a

truly happy family that's no longer together and will no

longer ever be happy. If I had one goal, one mission in my

life, it's to prevent other children, other kids, other

families from going through what I went through.

Story 6: I live in Auburndale, Florida. I was undocumented.

I want to say yes to citizenship because it's a very

important thing for immigration reform to happen. We've been

promised immigration reform for years since Obama's first

term in office and he did not go through with that promise,

though he did pass the action for childhood arrivals a couple

months before his reelection. I was undocumented for many

years until my wife is able to fix my status but my

legalization does not mean that I can stop fighting for other

undocumented people. I have family and friends who are still

in the shadows, who are willing to come out, and who I want

to come out to better themselves.

Story 7: I'm saying yes to Congress supporting a path to

citizenship. Many of us have stories. My story is this: my

mom brought me here when I was six months old and it's not

her fault, it's nobody's fault. By the age of 13 I started

helping them in the fields and I learned and went to school

and everything. After school I would go straight to the

fields to help out my mom because she needed help. I want to

see a path to citizenship because I want to see everybody

have opportunities in life.

Story 8: My family actually immigrated 200 years ago. My

great great grandfather was a stowaway from Germany and a

German Jew. I really love it here in Florida. I really see

how the immigrant community has enriched our community. I

worry that increasingly we are being hostile to immigrants

because they look a little different from the immigrants that

have come here from the past instead of realizing how much

they enrich the place. I think we need to continue to be a

country that welcomes people just like it has with my great

great grandfather.

Story 9: I'm from Argentina, and I've been here for 30

years. I came to this country looking for a better future. I

have two American children and the greatest fear I have is

being separated from them. I have been threatened with

separation from my children and all that I ask the

congressmen and senators is to pass immigration reform with a

path to citizenship in order to give a better future for my

children and to fulfill my dreams in this country.

Story 10: I think it's important what we're doing today

because the people are of value, they are an asset to our

community and we need them. None of us would be here if it

wasn't for the immigrants. We all come from that. It's

important that they're allowed to be here so they can add to

our economy. And they're not taking jobs. They're doing the

jobs that no one wants to do. I'm an American, born and

raised, and I'm in total support of it. I think the

government needs to look at our immigration system and make

it user-friendly to become a citizen because right now it's

not user-friendly. It's too expensive and too much paperwork

and too much red tape. Let's get down to the brass tacks and

do it right. And do it in a quick manner. We can do it and

the government knows how to do it. Let's just do it.

Story 11: I'm here because I have a lot of friends that I

go to school with who can't go to school because of tuition

hikes in our state. I'm in this club Students Working for

Equal Rights, and our president right now is in Georgia

because her boyfriend got arrest for driving without a

license. Of course, if you're not documented you can't get a

license, and if you're undocumented and get arrested, you'll

constantly live in fear of being deported. I've just seen

this problem escalate, and I'm here to make sure I help that

in any way that I can. I want to see immigration get reformed

because there are a lot of people that play by the rules and

work really

hard. They want to raise their kids or do anything any other

decent person wants to do, but they're denied the basic

opportunities most Americans take for granted.

Story 12: I say yes to a path to citizenship because it

would mean brightness where darkness has been for many people

for a long time. Undocumented immigrants face many injustices

and abuses. They fear getting stopped by a police officer and

standing up for themselves. I'm here because I'm not directly

affected, but my friends and family are and I want to stand

up for my people. I want to stand up with all the

organizations that are fighting for justice.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Colorado.

Madam Speaker, every day thousands of Americans risk their lives for our Nation, despite the fact that our broken immigration system rips them apart, rips their families apart by deporting their mothers, fathers, siblings, and spouses.

In my home State of Florida, Rita Cote, the wife of a gulf war veteran, was detained by local law enforcement when she was translating between police and her sister, her sister who had been a victim of domestic violence. Instead of arresting her sister's assailant, Rita was held without a warrant, without being charged, and without seeing a judge for 7 days before being transferred to ICE custody.

This is the spouse of a veteran, of someone who is serving in our Armed Forces. No one deserve this treatment, but certainly not someone who has faced the challenges of being a military spouse. Our Nation's veterans were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect us. The least we could do is protect their families.

At the same time, there are thousands of young people who would give anything to defend our country, the only country they have ever known. While these individuals with green cards cannot serve in the military because DACA doesn't allow for it, they are willing to do it; yet we do not allow it. These kids are an asset to our Nation, and it is simply bad policy to turn them away.

Since 2002, almost 90,000 military servicemembers have become citizens. We should be welcoming them with open arms. All of those willing to fight and risk their lives for our great Nation deserve that respect.

This is an issue that underscores the urgency with which we must pass immigration reform. Fixing our immigration system isn't about justice and fairness. It is about enhancing our national security and military readiness.

There are enough Members in the House that understand the benefits of immigration reform. There are enough people who know that it benefits our Nation's prosperity and understand that we will do this inevitably. But with every day that passes, this problem gets bigger. The consequences of inaction become more costly. This body needs to stop hiding behind empty promises and start doing the job we were sent here to do.

We recognize the sacrifices of America's veterans. Let's remember their loved ones who are left in the shadows.

I want to remind my colleagues across the aisle that there is enough blame to go around, but here is what is clear: a Democratic Senate took up comprehensive immigration reform and passed a bipartisan bill. This would not be the bill that I would love. This would not be the bill that the gentleman from Colorado or the gentleman from California would love. Many of us could probably write a better bill; yet we took up this bill, and it got passed. The President has said he would sign that bill. And before this House, we have a bipartisan bill that has 190 signatures. If the Speaker would allow it to come to the floor, it would pass.

Mr. Speaker, we need you to yield here. You did it on Hurricane Sandy relief, you did it on the budget and fiscal crisis, you did it on VAWA; and it is time to do it now. Let the will of this body happen. Let us vote, and we will vote it through. The consequences are grave not only for our country, not

only for the millions who suffer, not only for the veterans, not only for their spouses and family; but they are going to have a great consequence for your party. The time has come to let this be voted on.

We have been given an unprecedented opportunity to fix our broken immigration system and make our Nation stronger. Now is the time to pass immigration reform.

I just wanted to agree with the gentleman from Colorado.

What is clear is that there are enough votes here to pass this. What is clear is if this comes to the floor, this will pass. What is clear is that Mr. Cantor wants a bill to pass. What is clear is that there has probably been no bill with broader support--probably since I have been in Congress, probably since the gentleman from Colorado got here. We not only have the Chamber of Commerce on our side, but we have the AFL-CIO, who is on the other side of the spectrum. We have the farm workers, and then we have the growers. We have almost every sector, including the religious sector. All of them are looking for a solution here, and there is only one man standing in the way. That is the Speaker.

We ask, Mr. Speaker, for you to yield to the will of this body, yield to the majority, and yield to what is right for our Nation. We demand a vote. The Nation deserves a vote. Our country deserves a vote.

I thank the gentleman from Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I have the distinct privilege of representing a district that, in the last several decades, has in large part been built by immigrants.

I lived in south Florida during some very tough times for the immigrant community. I remember as a young man seeing bumper stickers on the backs of cars that said, ``Would the last American please bring the flag.'' But you know what? The flag still flies high in Miami. It is a thriving, growing economy and a beacon of work and opportunity for millions. People from all over are drawn to my community because they believe in the American Dream.

My constituents know that immigrants only add to the American way of life. They make our country better. They create more opportunity for all. A vast majority of Americans recognize this.

Some polls show that 70 to 80 percent of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform, with a pathway to citizenship. Fixing our broken immigration system isn't something that we can tackle on a step-by-step basis, only addressing parts of the problem.

It is a bill that secures our borders, builds our economy, and provides a way forward for millions of undocumented individuals living in the United States.

With every day that passes, millions continue to live in the shadows and jobs continue slipping away overseas. This is an issue that is not simply about justice. It is about fairness. It is about ensuring, also, America's economic prosperity.

In Florida alone, legalizing all of the currently undocumented immigrants would generate $1.3 billion in additional tax revenues and create 97,000 new jobs. Fixing our broken immigration system will help small businesses expand, foster innovation, increase productivity, raise wages, and help create thousands of jobs.

The fight for comprehensive immigration reform is one that makes all Americans better, makes our country richer, and creates opportunity for all. In the history of the world, there has never been a great nation that was shedding citizens. In fact, great nations welcome opportunities.

The last few weeks have not cast a positive light on the House of Representatives, but this is an issue where we can repair that broken image. It is possible to find a bipartisan compromise that is the right thing for our Nation to do. The costs of inaction are simply too high.

More than enough Members of this Chamber understand the benefits of immigration, understand that it is a necessity for our country's prosperity, and understand that it is what we will do inevitably. Let's do it now. Let's do it right. Let's get it done.

I thank the gentleman from California.

I take this opportunity to sort of point out that, as he talks about the governing majority, we are seeing a coalition already built around immigration reform. In a bill that was filed less than 3 weeks ago, we already have 187 cosponsors, which puts us in a very good place to pass it if it is allowed to come to the floor. That means that already 95 percent of Democrats have signed on to the bill. That means that a Democratic Senate already passed out a bill and that the President stands ready to sign a comprehensive immigration reform if it gets to his desk.

So our hope is that in the days to come, the 17 days left of working session before the end of the year, that we will find the will to bring something to the floor so that we can move this forward.

With that, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Colorado, and I think he is absolutely right.

This is an unprecedented partnership with business, labor, the tech community all coming together around a basic thing--to help our country move forward. I think about all of the opportunities that we are missing and of all of the places that are doing better than we are in competition because we don't offer a pathway forward.

I would mention to the gentleman from Colorado that there are 130,000 Chinese students in the United States right now, that there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 90,000 Indians studying in the United States, that there are 70,000 South Koreans studying in the United States. Under the present immigration system, if your company thinks, ``Hey, I can hire this guy, and it will be good for us,'' they just can't. He has got to go home. So we are sending them home to come back and compete with our workers when we could offer them a future here and when they could create a better future for other Americans.

This is something we have done always. We take people from all over the world, and we put them to work for America in the best interest of America. Yet, under our broken immigration system, you just can't do it.

I would also add to that the report that the Congressional Budget Office has released.

Here is what we know: in the next 10 years, if we move forward with comprehensive immigration reform, it will produce $175 billion to the U.S. economy. Here is what we know even further: in the 10 years after that, it will produce $870 billion to our economy. This is a net positive overall.

For my colleagues across the aisle who love to talk about the deficit, who love to talk about the fact that our country isn't bringing in revenue, here is revenue that is sitting there--people who are working, people who are ready to contribute to the American economy. They are there, and we know that, if we bring them out from the shadows and give them a pathway forward, they will make our Nation richer, and they will make our country better.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 35 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, October 16, 2013, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 512, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer Mr. Wayne Billie my best wishes on his 66th birthday.

Throughout his life, Wayne has been a strong, dedicated leader who has made significant contributions to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians and the State of Florida.

As a judge of the Miccosukee tribal court, Wayne Billie led a distinguished career committed to upholding justice. Through his work to protect the Everglades, Wayne has helped to protect and preserve one of our country's national treasures for future generations.

As a tribal elder of the Miccosukee tribe, Wayne has continued to demonstrate the same love of community and commitment to public service that has defined his life.

Wayne is truly deserving of our greatest respect and admiration. Again, I offer him my best wishes on his birthday