Speech #1140035441

These are all modern companies. but over the centuries. we have had life stories. where just like Google. Yahoo. General Electric. and IBM. all these American companies were founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants. I have seen personally the contributions of immigrants and the positive impact that a diversity of backgrounds has on shaping public policy. My staff represents generations of immigrants brought to this country. One staff member was born in the Philippines and emigrated with her mother to Las Vegas. Another left Nicaragua in the 1980s in the midst of a brutal civil war and settled in Carson City. Others came from Mexico. El Salvador. and Poland. Much like our Nation. my office is all the better because it reflects the diverse backgrounds. communities. and perspectives of those who have immigrated to Nevada. Nevada has a particularly vibrant international community. Las Vegas is home to large Latino. Asian. Pacific Islander. and Armenian communities. Northern Nevada has the same. but in addition to that. it is the home to proud descendants of immigrants from the Basque Country. Without the contributions made by generations of proud immigrants. Nevada would not be the State that it is today. Immigrants have been leaders. They protect our Nation. and they have taught our children. The immigrants who heeded the call engraved on the Statue of Liberty have altered this country for the better. We are and will always be a Nation of immigrants. I have devoted years of legislative effort to fixing our broken immigration system. In 2010 after Republicans blocked the DREAM Act. it became clear to me and to other Senators that Republicans were not going to cooperate. So we urged the President to take administrative action as the Republicans continued to block legislative efforts. Three years ago today. the President announced that young people who do not present a risk to national security would become eligible for relief from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program. As a result of this action. over 660.000 DREAMers have been approved. including almost 12.000 Nevadans. These individuals no longer live in fear of deportation. They can now contribute more fully to our country. as college students. teachers. small business owners. and artisans. These individuals were brought here as young children.