Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Immigration
Durbin To Host Dreamer Medical Student For President Trump's State Of The Union Address
DURBIN TO HOST DREAMER MEDICAL STUDENT FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, will host Illinois Dreamer Cesar Montelongo as his guest for President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address. Cesar, who has temporary legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, is the first DACA student enrolled in the MD-PhD program at Loyola Universit… Continue Reading
01.26.18
Durbin Statement On White House Immigration Proposal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the Trump Administration's immigration proposal, which was presented to the press this evening. The White House has scheduled a briefing on the plan for Senator Durbin and others this coming Monday afternoon. "Dreamers should not be held hostage to President Trump's crusade to tear families apart and waste billions of American tax dollars on an ineffective wall. After four and a half months, his Admi… Continue Reading
01.22.18
Durbin Statement On Path Forward For Bipartisan Immigration Bill
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) agreed to a path forward for the Dream Act and bipartisan immigration measures, and the Senate voted to advance a funding bill to re-open the federal government: "We have gathered the largest bipartisan group of Senators to ever commit to moving forward on the Dream Act and immigration. We have a process. I believe that that sets the stage for us… Continue Reading
01.19.18
Durbin To McConnell: There Is A Bipartisan Agreement On Immigration, Bring It To The Floor Now
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor today to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan agreement on immigration that was reached by himself and Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ). It has been more than four months since the Trump Administration terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and called for Congress … Continue Reading
01.16.18
Durbin Presses DHS Secretary On Bipartisan Immigration Deal, President's Remarks, At Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on the future of the Dream Act and her recollection of the January 11th meeting on immigration at the White House at an oversight hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee. "Madame Secretary, I hope you remember me. We were together at two meetings last week. I'd like to ask you about one of those meetings. It occurred about noon on January the 11th. So… Continue Reading
01.12.18
Durbin Statement On Trump Remarks, Bipartisan Immigration Deal
CHICAGO-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on his Thursday meeting at the White House to discuss the bipartisan immigration deal with President Trump: In the course of his comments, President Trump said things that were hate-filled, vile, and racist. He used those words, and he used them repeatedly. I cannot believe that in the history of the White House, in that Oval Office, any president has ever spoken the words that I personally heard our preside… Continue Reading
01.09.18
Durbin Statement On Bipartisan Immigration Meeting At White House
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: The President and every member of Congress in that room agreed on the urgent need to fix this DACA crisis now. Republicans laid out their four priorities, and Democrats laid out ours: the Dream Act. The next step is for bipartisan negotiators, who have already been working for months, to immediately reach an agreement that can pass both chambers and be signed into law by January 19th. -30-… Continue Reading
01.08.18
Lawmakers File Amicus Brief Against Sessions' Efforts To Block Byrne-JAG Funds From American Cities
WASHINGTON-Twelve members of the United States Senate and 33 members of the United States House filed a Congressional amicus brief in the appeal of the case City of Chicago v. Sessions, which is the lawsuit that the City of Chicago brought in August seeking a preliminary injunction to stop Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from blocking critical violence prevention funds from American cities in order to boost the Trump Administration's extreme immigration ag… Continue Reading
01.05.18
Durbin Statement On New White House Immigration Proposal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the Trump Administration's immigration policy demands presented to Senate negotiators this afternoon. The White House released the same list of demands in October of 2017. Today, they demanded an additional $18 billion in funding for the construction of a border wall. "President Trump has said he may need a good government shutdown to get his wall. With this demand, he seems to be heading in that direc… Continue Reading
01.03.18
Durbin: The Clock Is Ticking On Dreamers
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor today to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. More than 14,500 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status at a rate of roughly 1,000 each week. Beginning early this year, 1,000 additional young people will lose their protection from deportation each day. "I plead with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in this closely divided Senate before January 19 to get … Continue Reading
12.21.17
Durbin Statement On Government Funding and the Dream Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: I did not support this government funding measure because it did not include the Dream Act. Since President Trump abolished DACA three months ago, more than 13,000 Dreamers have lost that protection-at a rate of 1,000 each week. This isn't just about the Dream Act for these young people-we are fighting for the American dream.… Continue Reading
12.21.17
Durbin: This Isn't Just About The Dream Act - It's About The American Dream
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor today to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. More than 13,000 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status at a rate of roughly 1,000 each week. Beginning early next year, 1,000 additional young people will lose their protection from deportation each day. "In the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was so frustrated with General McClellan-he wouldn't a… Continue Reading
12.20.17
Durbin: Is This The Last Chrismas In America For Hundreds Of Thousands Of Young Dreamers?
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor today to call on Congressional Republicans to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. More than 12,000 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status at a rate of roughly 1,000 each week. Beginning early next year, 1,000 additional young people will lose their protection from deportation each day. "Yesterday, one of my Republican colleagues looked me in the eye and said 'we're talking about amnesty. These are peo… Continue Reading
12.19.17
Durbin Continues to press Republican Congress to pass the Dream Act Now
WASHINGTON-More than three months after the Trump Administration ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. More than 12,000 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status at a rate of roughly 1,000 each week. Beginning early next year, 1,000 additional young people will lose their protection from deportation each day.… Continue Reading
12.12.17
Durbin-Harris Legislation to Prevent Discharge of Non-Citizen Military Personnel Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON-Legislation by U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) to retain military personnel in the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) program until their background screenings are completed was signed into law today by the President as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). "When the military can't find American citizens with the skills it needs to help… Continue Reading
12.07.17
Durbin Continues To Press Republican Congress To Pass The Dream Act By The End Of The Year
WASHINGTON-Three months after the Trump Administration's September 5th announcement that it will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act before the end of the year. More than 11,000 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status, and beginning early next year, 1,000 additional young people will lose their protection fro… Continue Reading
12.06.17
Durbin: Passing The Dream Act By The End Of The Year Is a Matter Of Justice And Fairness
WASHINGTON-Three months after the Trump Administration's September 5th announcement that it will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act before the end of the year. More than 10,000 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status, and beginning early next year, 1,000 additional young people will lose this protection each… Continue Reading
12.05.17
Durbin Statement On Cornyn-Grassley Immigration Proposal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on legislation announced by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA): "Neither Senator Cornyn nor Senator Grassley has ever voted for the Dream Act. This proposal, as I have told them personally, cannot be considered a good faith effort to provide protection for the Dreamers, including those who were enrolled in DACA. The laundry list of unrelated immigration bills which they have offe… Continue Reading
11.29.17
Durbin Calls On Congress To Pass The Dream Act By The End Of The Year
WASHINGTON-Following the Trump Administration's announcement on September 5, 2017 that it will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again came to the Senate floor today to call on Republican leaders in Congress to bring the bipartisan Dream Act to the floor for a vote before the end of the year. During his speech, Durbin shared the story of one Dreamer - Cesar Montelongo, who was ten years old when his family came to … Continue Reading
11.28.17
Durbin Statement On Luis Gutierrez
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement following U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez's (D-IL-04) announcement that he will not seek re-election: Luis Gutierrez has been my strongest partner in working for the Dream Act and comprehensive immigration reform. His voice will be critical in the remainder of his term and sorely missed thereafter.… Continue Reading