Press Releases
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Durbin Questions Witnesses At American Dream And Promise Act Judiciary Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, "H.R.6, American Dream and Promise Act of 2021," U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Manuel Bernal Mejia, a DACA recipient, and Leon Rodriguez, former United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director under President Obama, about the importance of passing the American Dream and Promise Act. Durbin asked Dr. Bernal Mejia whether or not he's had … Continue Reading
06.07.21
Durbin Urges Senate To Pass Bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, today urged the Senate to pass the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would provide a path to lawful permanent residency for undocumented farmworkers and their family members. During the speech, Durbin thanked the countless farmworkers who have kept American families fed durin… Continue Reading
06.02.21
Durbin Statement On Termination Of Cruel "Remain In Mexico" Policy
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas announced the termination of the former administration's Remain in Mexico policy. Under the Trump Administration, the policy-deceptively named Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)-blocked vulnerable asylum seekers from being in the U.S. while they awaited immigration court hearings, forcing them to wait in … Continue Reading
05.24.21
Durbin Statement On DHS Report on Trump Administration's Family Separation Policy
SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report on the Trump Administration's family separation policy, the latest in a series of investigative reports which Durbin requested in March 2018. The report found that under the Trump Administration's policy, "ICE removed separated parents without their children even… Continue Reading
05.19.21
Durbin Meets With Biden's Nominee To Lead U.S. Citizenship And Immigration Services
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met virtually with Ur Jaddou, President Joe Biden's nominee to be the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). During their meeting, Durbin and Jaddou discussed the need to evaluate and strengthen our nation's immigration system, including protecting Dreamers. "Under the Trump Administration, the Department of Homeland Security was plagued by chaos, mismanagement, and… Continue Reading
05.19.21
Durbin Joins Colleagues In Bipartisan Letter To President Biden In Support Of Afghan SIV Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and a bipartisan group of Senators in a letter to President Joe Biden expressing widespread support in the Senate for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for Afghans, and to urge continued support from the Administration to uphold the integrity of the program. The SIV program is the only path to ensuring the safety of Afghan allies that aided U.S. service members and di… Continue Reading
05.12.21
Durbin Delivers Opening Statement At Immigration Subcommittee Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during "The Essential Role of Immigrant Workers in America" Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety hearing. U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chair of the Subcommittee, made history as the first Latino Chair of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee. During his opening statement, Durbin highlighted the need for Congress to pass legislat… Continue Reading
05.12.21
Durbin Questions AG Garland & DHS Secretary Mayorkas On Domestic Terrorism & Border Security
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today asked questions during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on domestic violent extremism with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Durbin asked Attorney General Garland how the Department of Justice (DOJ) is addressing the possibility that members of law enforcement were involved in the January 6 insurrection. "[After… Continue Reading
05.04.21
Durbin Statement On Biden Administration's Decision To Raise Refugee Admissions Target
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced it would raise the Fiscal Year 2021 refugee admissions target to 62,500: "Facing the greatest refugee crisis in our time, the United States must return to our longstanding bipartisan tradition of providing safety to the world's most vulnerable refugees. Raising the cap on refugee admissions will give tens of thousand… Continue Reading
04.16.21
Durbin Statement On Refugee Admissions Decision By Biden Administration
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced it would keep the Fiscal Year 2021 refugee admissions target at 15,000: "This Biden Administration refugee admissions target is unacceptable. These refugees can wait years for their chance and go through extensive vetting. Thirty-five thousand are ready. Facing the greatest refugee crisis in our time there is no rea… Continue Reading
04.09.21
Durbin, Illinois AFL-CIO Discuss Dream And Promise Act
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and original author of the Dream Act, today discussed the House-passed American Dream and Promise Act with members of the Illinois AFL-CIO in a conference call. "The Senate should take up and pass the Dream and Promise Act to begin fixing our nation's broken immigration system," Durbin said. "We also need to move quickly to pass comprehensive immigration reform. I'll keep working in Congress to… Continue Reading
04.09.21
Durbin, Padilla: Judiciary Committee Democrats Will Restore Committee's DHS Oversight Role
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chair of the Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today pressed back on a letter they received from Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and John Cornyn (R-TX), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, requesting Judiciary Committee hearings regarding migration at the southern border and oversight of… Continue Reading
02.25.21
Durbin Discusses Biden Administration Immigration Priorities with DHS Secretary Ali Mayorkas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Ali Mayorkas about the need for Congress to fix our broken immigration system, smart and effective border security, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and other critical issues. "Secretary Mayorkas and I share a vision that America is a nation of immigrants and we must have an imm… Continue Reading
02.22.21
Durbin Questions AG Nominee Garland on Domestic Terrorism and Family Separation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today asked his first round of questions during the nomination hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General. Durbin posed several questions to Judge Garland on domestic terrorism and the previous administration's cruel zero-tolerance family separation policy. "If you are confirmed as Attorney General, which I believe you will be, you will face wh… Continue Reading
02.19.21
Durbin, Duckworth Join Congressional Democrats to Introduce U.S. Citizenship Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), joined U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and U.S. Representative Linda Sánchez (D-CA-38) to introduce the bicameral U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, President Biden's bold, inclusive, and humane framework for the future of the United States immigration system. The legislation would provide millions of hardworking, undocumented immigrants with a pathw… Continue Reading
02.13.21
Judiciary Chair Durbin Participates in Midyear Refugee Consultation with Biden Administration
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, participated in a statutorily-required refugee consultation between the Biden Administration and House and Senate Judiciary Committee leadership. This mid-year consultation is required by law before the Administration can raise the number of refugees to be admitted during the current fiscal year. President Biden has proposed raising the Fiscal Year 2021 refugee admissions target from 15,000 to 6… Continue Reading
02.09.21
Durbin, Duckworth, Senate Democrats Introduce SECURE Act for TPS Recipients
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), joined U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) to introduce the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and in Emergency (SECURE) Act, legislation to allow qualified Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients to apply for legal permanent residency. "TPS recipients are vital contributors to our communities. More than 130,000 TPS re… Continue Reading
02.04.21
Durbin & Graham Introduce the Dream Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced the Dream Act of 2021, which would allow immigrant students without lawful status who were brought here as children and grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Durbin and Graham introduced identical legislation in the last two sessions of Congress. These young people, known as Dreamers, ha… Continue Reading
02.04.21
Twenty Years Since it Was First Introduced, Durbin Calls on the Senate to Finally Make the Dream Act the Law of the Land
WASHINGTON - Twenty years since he first introduced the Dream Act, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on the Senate to finally make the bipartisan Dream Act the law of the land. The bill would allow immigrant students who were brought here as children and grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship. Durbin, along with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), will introduce the Dream Act t… Continue Reading
02.02.21
Durbin Statement on President Biden's Immigration Executive Actions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act, today released the following statement on President Joe Biden's executive actions on immigration, which include forming a task force to locate and reunify families separated by the Trump Administration; addressing irregular migration across the Southern border and restoring a humane refugee and asylum system; and restoring our legal immigration system and pro… Continue Reading