Economy. They work hard and they get back and they believe in the American Dream. Deporting dreamers would be cruel and irrational, inhumane and very simply, repugnant. Two basic american values. Just think of Jonathan Gonzales clues. He is a College Student at Connecticut State University and have the privilege of meeting him in december. His story has stuck with me. His story haunts me when i think of the moral imperils of this nation. To pass the d. R. E. A. M. Act. Jonathan was born in mexico. He came to this country when he was just four years old. The United States is home for him. It is the only country that he has ever known. And he received a full scholarship to attend southern Connecticut State University and he is set to graduate this spring with a degree. In fact, an honors degree in economics and math. His dream is to attend law school. But due to the uncertainty surrounding daca, he is decided to delay applying. Knowing that he will be unable to receive scholarships without his daca status. He could attend but cannot pay for it. With scholarships unless he has that daca status. Jonathan first became compelled to speak up and tell his story after his father was deported. And they were unable to even say goodbye. Despite his own struggles, jonathan is a passionate advocate for his community and he actively works for connecticut students for a dream. That organization, is a group of students who help empower and advocate on behalf of of other undocumented students. In fact, today, jonathan is here in d. C. To help ensure that the voices of students are in fact heard. Jonathan is a volunteer peer mentor. He is so passionate about raising Graduation Rates and ensuring sall students like himself have support that they need to succeed during his bsenior year he has been interning at an Immigration Law firm and he is glad to be helping others gain legal status in this country. The irony is not lost on him and should not be lost on us. But he himself could face deportation this year. And jonathan is not permitted to stay, if congress does not act and he loses his protection, connecticut and this nation would be the losers. Connecticut and this nation will lose an educated and compassionate Public Service minded individual. It gives back to his community, to his fellow students, to our state. And he is just the estimated 10,000 like him in connecticut and at least 700,000 around the country who could lose their status in march. If Congress Fails to act now. Very simply. We have an obligation to do our job and provide permanent status and a path to citizenship for dreamers. And, the hopeful news is that there is broad bipartisan dreamers protection. G the against mass deportations. And our challenge is to make sure that what we do here reflects that broad bipartisan support in this chamber and around the country. Because america knows that it has made a promise. It has made a promise to the dreamers and great countries do not break promises. Last night, a Federal District court issued a perimeter injunction ordering the department of Homeland Security to resume accepting renewal applications. In once again, the courts have served as a floor work for basic rights in the rule of eplaw. This reprieve is no final remedy. We must redouble rmour determination to protect these young people from draconian mass deportation. A continuing threat as long as the president refuses to reverse his cruel, unconscionable policy. A federal judge has instruct on the president s order. It is unconstitutional puberty dream act is no less necessary today than it was yesterday. And congress should wasted no time in passing clean legislation, a clean d. R. E. A. M. Act to protect these young people. When daca was adopted in 2012 it changed the lives of young people like jonathan. Opened and provided dreamers with opportunity for drivers licenses, to attend college, to become productive members of our economy and importantly when it was adopted, we made that promise to the young people. We promised that if they came forward, and provided the United States of america with information, some of the most personal information any of us have. Information about their addresses and employment. Date of birth, their families. We would not use that information against them. They had a place here. Under daca. They had moral if not legal rights. That promise is now about to be broken. Great countries keep those promises. The United States is the greatest country in the history of the world. It should not be breaking promises to innocent young men and women. Who know only this country, believe in the American Dream, who believe in america promises. Who believe those promises when they offer that information and now, or relying on the good faith of america. This threatens to destroy lives, create disarray and district futures. We are a country that is better than this. We are a country that keeps promises. And Congress Must now act to protect these young people. Daca protections are set to expire in two months. When tens of thousands of recipients are estimated to have lost their protections from removal and the longer Congress Takes to act, the longer these young people promise the American Dream continue to anguish with targets on their back. Continue waiting means instability to the job market, because companies are forced to hire replacements for Daca Recipients and train new workers in anticipation of the march deadline. It could mean a massive injection of qualified hardworking people, vital to our economy. It would be unprecedented. This kind of massive deportation by airplane, boat, car, by foot. You have never seen anything like it. And as i have said repeatedly, this kind of mass deportation would be a humanitarian nightmare. A betrayal of america. If Congress Fails to pass the dream act we will lose nearly 500 billion over the next 10 years. Let me repeat. 500 billion over the next 10 years. We will lose 25 billion in medicare and Social Security taxes alone. And in my own state of connecticut, we stand to lose 300 million in economic benefits. Per year. Now is the time to abandon this myth that the dreamers work on the sidelines of american society. They are part of the fabric in this nation their lives are woven into great tapestry of america. They drive the economy. They get back to our community and the administration has thrown a ticking time bomb into their lives. But it is also a ticking time bomb in this chamber. We have the power to defuse it. And giving so we can give hope to hundreds of thousands of members of our society. And reaffirm the greatness of our country. At stake is nothing less than the character of our country. And that is why there is such bipartisan support for a dream act evident yesterday, in the cabinet room when the president met with members of congress on both sides of the aisle. In the dreamers we see ourselves. We see relatives who came to this country. Years ago. Many of them as teenagers. My father. Who fled germany at 17 years old with nothing more than the shirt on his back. Speaking of english. Knowing that virtually no one here like him, they believed americas promise, and we should believe in the dreamers. Thank you, mr. President. More about dreamers and the daca program as democratic