House Republican bill unfairly targets DREAMers, poses a threat to national security and New Mexico's economy

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3RWMXsRdCE&feature=youtu.be

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall shared the stories of two hardworking DREAMers from Santa Fe and Belen, N.M. in a speech from the Senate floor. His remarks came just after voting against beginning debate on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which he said unfairly targets young undocumented immigrants.

Congress must pass a DHS funding bill before Feb. 27 or DHS will shut down. Out of anger at President Obama's immigration policies, Republicans have proposed legislation with harsh anti-immigrant penalties and threatened to block DHS funding - including programs that are critical for New Mexico - if their proposals are not passed into law. One such reform Republicans oppose would legalize the immigration status of undocumented youth with no criminal record who were brought to the United States as children -- if they finish school or join the military. These children are also called DREAMers, after the DREAM Act, a bill Udall has supported for many years.

Udall urged senators to fund DHS without penalizing DREAMers, to allow amendments, and to enact a bill that Congress and the president can agree to.

"We may disagree on the specifics of immigration reform, but these DREAMers have earned our admiration," Udall said after sharing the stories of two DREAMers, Mabel Arellenaes of Santa Fe and Alejandro Rivera of Belen, who have both worked hard in school and in their communities despite their immigration status. "They should not be pushed back into the shadows by the House deportation bill, and the men and women who work to keep us safe