Washington, DC— Today, the Democratic National Committee along with DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz, House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Xavier Becerra, and Representative Grace Meng held a press call to talk about the one-year anniversary of Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), President Obama’s plan to protect immigrant families that Republicans have so-far blocked in the courts.  Below you will find excerpts as prepared for delivery:

DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz

“The move by the Republican-led court in Texas to undermine immigrant families only perpetuates a broken immigration system that tears families apart and fails to serve the national interest.  As Republicans continue to defer the dreams of the hard-working immigrant families who give so much to our communities, let’s consider the facts:113 Congressional Republicans have backed lawsuits in 26 states against keeping immigrant families together.  This is unconscionable.  This is irresponsible.  This is cruel.  

“Note that every Administration, Democratic or Republican, since President Dwight David Eisenhower has used executive authority to do just that.Just as presidents before him, President Obama has broad authority to improve our immigration system to reflect our shared values as Americans and as citizens of a global society.  

“But Republicans would have you believe otherwise.  That’s why the Administration is not committed to taking the necessary next step on behalf of millions of immigrant families by appealing the 5th Circuit’s misguided decision to the Supreme Court. An estimated 5.5 million US citizen children will be affected by DAPA.  Under president Obama’s plan their parents will finally be shielded from the terror of deportations.”  

House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Xavier Becerra

“Senator Marco Rubio, whose parent were immigrants, has become a leading voice against immigration reform. In fact, he's feuding with Senator Cruz over who would treat our important immigrant communities most harshly. In fact, it wasn't that long ago that Marco Rubio's mom left him a voicemail reminding him there's a “human element” to consider with immigration reform.

“Ted Cruz was not born in America. His father was born in Cuba. Marco Rubio is the son of immigrant parents from Cuba  — a country which, as many of you know, is afforded a special status in our immigration code.  Despite this, Senator Cruz does not support a path to citizenship. Senator Cruz wants to build a wall on our border with Mexico. And Senator Cruz refuses to say how he'd address the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows.

“Despite argument after argument from leading constitutional experts validating the legality of DAPA, Republicans continue to rant and rail against it.  Just as the scientific community is to climate change, leading constitutional experts are to DAPA.

“Every reasonable, non-partisan analysis will tell you that fixing our broken immigration system would lead to more job growth a decrease in our federal budget and strengthen programs like Social Security.” 

Rep. Grace Meng

“The facts are crystal clear: DAPA and DACA raise our GDP by $90 billion over the course of the next decade; let me reiterate that: $90 billion. That’s a lot – but it’s worth mentioning here that comprehensive immigration reform as passed by the Senate in 2013 would have increased real GDP by 3.3 percent, or roughly $700 billion, in that same ten-year period.

“According to the Office of Management and Budget, DAPA and DACA do not impact the likelihood of employment for U.S. workers. In fact, DAPA and DACA raise average wages for American workers by .3% over ten years.

“And last but not least, they help us cut our federal deficits by approximately $25 billion over a 10-year period. That’s because under DAPA and DACA, immigrants don’t have to live in the shadows anymore; rather, they’re able to have some peace of mind, pay taxes, and contribute to our economy even more than they do already.”