Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Immigration
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
01.26.21
Durbin Calls on Senate to Quickly Confirm Ali Mayorkas, Biden Nominee to Lead Department of Homeland Security
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called on the Senate to quickly confirm President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ali Mayorkas. Unfortunately, Republicans are holding up Mr. Mayorkas' confirmation. During his speech, Durbin noted that under President Trump, the agency experienced an unprecedented leadership vacuum. DHS lurched from o… Continue Reading
01.21.21
Durbin: Dreamers Have Waited Long Enough for the Dream Act
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Majority Whip and incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Congress to pass the Dream Act, describing it as one of his highest priorities in the 117th Congress. Durbin thanked President Biden for signing an executive order restoring the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and urged his colleagues to finally pass the long overdue, bipartisan Dream Act, which would give young immigra… Continue Reading
01.20.21
Durbin Statement on President Biden's Executive Orders on DACA, Muslim Travel Ban, and Border Wall
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after President Joe Biden issued executive orders to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, reverse the Muslim travel ban, and stop diverting money from the Department of Defense for construction of the Southern border wall: "With these Executive Orders, President Biden is turning the page on four years of policies that dragged our c… Continue Reading
12.16.20
Durbin Discusses DACA and Immigration Reform with FWD.us
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today spoke with leaders at FWD.us, a bipartisan political organization focused on immigration and criminal justice reform. Durbin discussed his hopes for comprehensive immigration reform under the Biden-Harris Administration next year. Durbin expressed his gratitude towards millions of immigrants who are essential workers - many working in hospitals and other health care settings acros… Continue Reading
12.04.20
Durbin Speaks With American Business Immigration Coalition About Need For Comprehensive Immigration Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today spoke at the American Business Immigration Coalition's Summit, entitled "Reigniting the Economic Engine: Immigration Solutions 2021," about the possibility of comprehensive immigration reform under a Democratic-controlled Senate. Durbin was a member of the "Gang of 8" - four Republicans and four Democrats - that authored comprehensive immigration legislation that p… Continue Reading
12.03.20
Durbin Speaks With Biden Nominee For DHS Secretary, Ali Mayorkas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today spoke with President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, Alejandro "Ali" Mayorkas. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Mayorkas would be the first Hispanic and the first immigrant to lead DHS. "Mr. Mayorkas is an exceptionally qualified nominee to run the Department of Homeland Security. During our call today, we discussed… Continue Reading
10.20.20
Durbin Presses Trump Administration On Dismal Refugee Resettlement Goal
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today on a call with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli pressed the Trump Administration on its dismal refugee resettlement goal of merely 15,000 refugees to the U.S. in the coming year, the lowest target in history. Prior to any presidential determination o… Continue Reading
10.09.20
Durbin To Cornyn: Following Bombshell Report, Senate Must Hold A Hearing On Trump Administration's Family Separation Policy
SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today called on U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, to immediately hold hearings in the Subcommittee on the Trump Administration's disastrous zero-tolerance policy, which has forcibly separated thousands of infants, toddlers, and children from their parents at our southern border. Durbin, in a letter to Cornyn, calle… Continue Reading
10.07.20
Durbin Statement On DOJ IG Report On Trump Administration's Family Separation Policy
SPRINGFIELD-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after a New York Times article reported on a forthcoming Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on family separation, which Durbin requested in July 2018: "Even these brief excerpts of the DOJ OIG report I requested tell a sickening story of the zero-tolerance policy that forcibly separated thousands… Continue Reading
10.01.20
Durbin, Feinstein Statement On Trump Admin Decision To Slash Refugee Resettlement Goal To Lowest Level In History
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced that it will aim to admit just 15,000 refugees to the U.S. in the coming year, the lowest target in history: "In the midst of the worst refugee crisis in history, it is no surprise that the Trump Admin… Continue Reading
09.30.20
Durbin Statement On DHS IG Report Detailing CBP's Inadequate Controls & Oversight Of FY19 Humanitarian Funding
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report that Durbin requested titled, "CBP Did Not Adequately Oversee FY 2019 Appropriated Humanitarian Funding." Today's report comes after Durbin led 24 of his Senate colleagues in a letter to DHS OIG last year requesting they inves… Continue Reading
09.16.20
Ninety Days Since Landmark Supreme Court DACA Decisions And Following Critical TPS Decision, Durbin Calls On Senate To Pass Dream And Promise Act
WASHINGTON - Ninety days since the Supreme Court's decision rejecting President Donald Trump's repeal of the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee and author of the Dream Act, once again called on the Senate to pass the bipartisan, House-passed American Dream and Promise Act. The legislation will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers and immigrants with Temporar… Continue Reading
09.16.20
Senate Republicans Continue To Block Bipartisan, House-Passed Venezuela TPS Legislation
WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans today again blocked bipartisan, House-passed legislation that would designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and protect approximately 200,000 Venezuelan nationals in the United States from deportation. U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) was joined by U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on the Senate floor to make a unanimous consent (UC) request to im… Continue Reading
09.09.20
Durbin, Feinstein, Nadler, Lofgren Call On Trump Administration To Consult Congress About Refugee Resettlement, As Required By Law
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee; U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; and U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Chairwoman of the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, pressed the Trump Administration to restore our nation's long-standing bipartisan traditio… Continue Reading
08.25.20
Durbin, Garcia, Kelly Call On Trump Admin To Immediately Facilitate Access To Legal Orientation Program To All ICE Detainees In Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, along with U.S. Representatives Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-04) and Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) today called on the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to work together to immediately facilitate access to the Legal Orientation Program (LOP), including meaningful remote access, to all ICE detainees in Illinois. LOP see… Continue Reading