* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. Y ALREADY. EVERYBODY [00:00:01] HAS THEIR WHITE BALANCE. EVERYBODY [Press Conference: “DACA 10th Anniversary”] GOOD? WE'RE ROLLING. OKAY. SO, UM, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SESSA ESPINOZA AND I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FI. UH, TODAY WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE JOINED BY, UH, VARIOUS, UH, PEOPLE HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA. UH, VARIOUS, UH, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MAYOR ES TURNER COUNTY COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA, STATE REPRESENTATIVE JEAN WU AMONG, UH, OTHER, AMONG OTHER, UH, FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE HERE TO, UH, CELEBRATE. AND THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION, WHICH IS THE 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF DACA. UM, LIKE I SAID, I'M CESAR, I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF YALE. UH, I'M ALSO AN IMMIGRANT. I'M ALSO A DACA RECIPIENT. UH, AND FOR US, UM, MY SISTER'S HERE, I'M NOT GONNA GET EMOTIONAL, BUT WHEN WE RECEIVED THE NEWS ON JUNE 14TH, 2000 AND, UH, 2012, THAT THAT DACA WAS HAPPENING, THE FIRST QUESTION IS LIKE, WHAT IS DACA? AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WAS LIKE, OKAY, WHAT DO WE DO NOW? AND SO WE JOINED WITH, WITH VARIOUS, UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. HELD, UH, FORUMS AND HELD, UH, TALKS. AND WE ARE HERE NOW, 10 YEARS LATER, CELEBRATING THE 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF DACA. UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH WE ARE NOT OUT OF, OUT OF THE CLEAR YET, UH, LAST YEAR, FORCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL, UH, DECIDED TO SUE, UH, THE DACA PROGRAM. AND SO ON JULY 6TH, WE FACED YET ANOTHER COURT HEARING IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT OF THE UNITED STATES. SO, ALL TO SAY IS THAT EVEN THOUGH TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION, UH, ON JULY 6TH, WE MAY GET DIFFERENT NEWS FROM THE, FROM THE DISTRICT COURT. UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO FIGHT. AND I KNOW THAT WHAT OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY HERE THAT ARE HERE TODAY, UH, WE WILL WIN. BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, JUSTICE WILL WIN. AND I, I DON'T NEED TO SAY WHO THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IS, BECAUSE EVERYBODY HERE WILL EXPRESS WHO THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IS HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, BUT I'LL JUST SAY THIS, IMMIGRANTS ARE ESSENTIAL. WE HAVE BEEN ESSENTIAL. WE ARE ESSENTIAL. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE ESSENTIAL FOR THE GROWTH OF HOUSTON AND FOR THE GROWTH OF THIS NATION, UH, SYLVESTER TURNER. SO, UM, WITH THAT SAID, I DO WANT TO, UH, I DO WANT TO WELCOME, UH, AND BRING TO THE PODIUM, UH, MAYOR SYL TURNER. AND, UH, LET ME, LEMME JUST SIDE NOTE, UM, I LOVE IT. THE FIRST TIME I HEARD YOU SAY IT, I LOVED IT. AND WHEN HE, UH, HE STOOD UP, AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT RALLY IT WAS, 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF RALLIES TOGETHER, AND HE SAID, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHETHER YOU'RE DOCUMENTED OR DOCUMENTED WHAT YOU, HE IS YOUR MAYOR. AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THIS, UH, BECAUSE YOU ARE A MAN OF YOUR WORD, AND WE'VE WORKED ON YOU ON MANY ISSUES. AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE LATINO AND THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. SO, MAYOR STER TURNER, THANK YOU. LET ME THEN, LOOK, LET ME START OFF BY THANKING CESAR FOR HIS INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP AND FOR FI HOUSTON, FOR JUST BEING ON THE FRONTLINE FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS. AND, AND THEN OF COURSE, I'M, I'M JUST HONORED TO BE, UH, STANDING WITH COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE ING WU AND ALL OF THESE OTHER INCREDIBLE LEADERS. AND QUITE FRANKLY, TO, UH, TO CSAR TO YOU, YOUR SISTER, THE FAMILY MEMBERS AND ALL. UM, LOOK, AND I STAND BEFORE YOU, UH, AS WE CELEBRATE, UH, AND ACKNOWLEDGE DACA. BUT, BUT STANDING BEFORE YOU ON BEHALF OF ABOUT TWO, ABOUT 32,000 HOUSTONIANS, UH, WOULD BE, UH, UH, CLASSIFIED OR CHARACTERIZED AS DREAMERS. UH, SO THERE ARE ABOUT 32,000 IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND SO, UM, I AM THEIR MAYOR. UH, THIS IS THEIR CITY. AND I'M STANDING HERE IN SUPPORT [00:05:01] OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. AND THEN THE MORE THAN 750,000 DREAMERS, UH, THAT ARE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, WE WERE IN THE, IN THE ROOM. AND, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, THE QUESTION WAS, OKAY, WHO'S, UH, WHO'S WOULD BE CONSIDERED A DREAMER THAT WILL FALL IN WITHIN THIS CHARACTERIZATION THAT WE CALL DACA? AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEEN HERE, UH, PRIOR TO 2007, HAVE COME HERE WHEN YOU WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 15. UH, AND THEN YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD QUALIFY. SO IF YOU COME IN AFTERWARDS, AFTER 2007, UH, YOU WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED, FOR EXAMPLE, A DREAMER, A DACA. BUT THE REALITY IS, WHETHER YOU CAME HERE PRIOR TO 2007 OR CAME HERE AFTER 2007, IF YOU WERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON RIGHT NOW, UH, THEN I AM YOUR MAYOR. UH, AND YOU ARE A HOUSTONIAN AND YOU ARE ENTITLED TO THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF ANY OTHER PERSON, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU COME FROM, REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATUS, REGARDLESS OF YOUR LANGUAGE, UH, YOU ARE HERE IN THIS CITY. LOOK, 10 YEARS AGO, UH, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PROVIDED A LIFELINE TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS THAT ARRIVED TO THE UNITED STATES AS CHILDREN BY ALLOWING THEM TO ATTAIN WORK PERMITS AND DRIVER'S LICENSE. UH, THE PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED PROTECTION TO AROUND 750,000 DREAMERS IN THE UNITED STATES, DESPITE EFFORTS FROM PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS TO DISMANTLE OF THE PROGRAM. AND THEY REPRESENTATIVE EUGENE WOO AND OTHERS WERE TALKING, AND IN THIS STATE, UH, THEY'VE TAKEN AWAY THE ABILITY TO EVEN GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE. UM, AND AGAIN, IN HOUSTON, THERE ARE OVER 32,000 DOCTOR RECIPIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAVE BUILT THEIR LIVES, PURSUED THEIR EDUCATION, AND CONTRIBUTED TO OUR CITY AND GET THIS MORE THAN $1.1 BILLION. THAT'S WITH THE B AS IN BOY, $1.1 BILLION TO HOUSTON ECONOMY EACH YEAR. NOW, THAT'S NOT SINCE THE PROGRAM CAME INTO EXISTENCE, BUT THAT'S $1.1 BILLION CONTRIBUTED TO THE HOUSTON ECONOMY EACH YEAR. IF YOU TAKE ALL OF THOSE 32,000, FOR EXAMPLE, OUT OF OUR ECONOMY, OKAY? ALL OF US SUFFER MM-HMM . OKAY? ALL OF US WOULD PAY THE PRICE. OKAY? SO THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO HOUSTON ON A DAILY BASIS AND HAVING TO MAKE THIS THE GREAT CITY THAT IT IS. UH, I WILL CONTINUE TO STAND NOT ONLY FOR OUR DREAMERS, BUT FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR DOCUMENT DOCUMENTATION STATUS. AND WE ARE PROUD TO REPRESENT THE FUTURE OF AMERICA AND PROUD THAT IMMIGRANTS COME HERE WITH DREAMS POWERED BY HARD WORK AND RESILIENCE. AND THEY ARE HARD WORKERS. IF YOU, WE FACE SEVEN FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS DREAMERS, WERE A PART OF HELPING THE CITY RECOVER IN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. THEY ARE PART OF THE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR CITY. SO WHETHER THEY ARE BUSINESS OWNERS, A TEACHER, A NURSE, OR PURSUING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, THEY MAKE THIS CITY THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND RAISE A FAMILY. SO TODAY I PROUDLY STAND WITH PHIL HOUSTON ON URGENT CONGRESS, UH, TO WORK ON A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO PROVIDE A PATH THROUGH CITIZENSHIP FOR THE 750,000 PLUS DREAMERS WHO LIVE IN THE UNITED, IN THE UNITED STATES, THE 32,000 PLUS THAT LIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THEN OUR HOPE, AS THIS MATTER NAVIGATES THROUGH OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM, THAT OUR JUDGES JUSTICES WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND SAY YES, UH, TO OUR DREAMERS. THANKS VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF OUR SUPPORTERS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND SOMEBODY THAT WE, WE COUNT ON AS A, NOT ONLY AN ELECTED LEADER, BUT AS A FRIEND, IS COUNTY COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA. JUST YESTERDAY WE WERE IN COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, AND HE, UH, CHAMPIONED A, A RESOLUTION PUT FORWARD A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE WORK OF, OF, OF DREAMERS AND OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE IN HU IN HOUSTON AND IN HARRIS COUNTY. SO NONE OF US, THE DREAMERS. SO WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM COUNTY COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA. THANK YOU, SIR. MAYOR TURNER, UH, REPRESENTATIVE WU AND TO THE BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY THAT IS HARRIS COUNTY AND HOUSTON . UH, BUT LET, LET ME, LET ME JUST FIRST THANK, UH, THE WORK THAT WAS DONE, UH, BY PRESIDENT OBAMA, UH, TO CREATE THE DACA PROGRAM. IT WAS A GREAT FIRST STEP. AND LET ME JUST ALSO SAY THAT, [00:10:01] UH, THANK YOU, SENATOR CORNY THANK YOU, SENATOR MURPHY FOR YOUR WORK ON BRINGING BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE TOGETHER TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF PROVIDING BETTER, UH, RULES FOR GUN SAFETY. IF WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN FIND THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF DACA. HOPEFULLY IT WOULD BE IN THE FORM OF COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM WITH A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP, AND TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT IMMIGRANTS SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THIS NATION, UH, REMEMBER THAT THE NATION WAS FOUNDED BY IMMIGRANTS. AND OVER OUR HISTORY, IMMIGRANTS HAVE BROUGHT COMMITMENT, SUPPORT, PASSION, AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICA. IF WE LOOK JUST AT OUR MILITARY, THE NUMBER OF MEDAL OF VALOR RECIPIENTS, CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF VALOR RECIPIENTS, ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS IN THE NAME OF STAFF SERGEANT RIO GARCIA, WHO, ASIDE FROM BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR HIS VALOR, UH, IN COMBAT, REGRETFULLY WAS ALSO A RECIPIENT OF IGNORANCE AND HATE BY BEING IN FULL UNIFORM IN A CAFE, AND WAS CHASED OUT AND BEATEN WITH A BAT BECAUSE DOGS AND MEXICANS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO EAT IN THAT CAFE. WE HAVE COME SO FAR, BUT WE HAVE SO FAR TO GO. AND I APPLAUD, UH, MAYOR TURNER'S LEADERSHIP AND INCLUSIVENESS. I APPLAUD STATE REPRESENTATIVE GENE WS TENACITY AND COMMITMENT AND FIGHT, UH, AT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE, UM, UH, ARENA TO TRY TO BRING, UH, BETTER, UH, RULES AND, AND, AND COMMON SENSE, UH, TO A STATE THAT NEEDS SO MUCH MORE AND BETTER THINKING. BUT I HAVE TO THANK THE DACA RECIPIENTS AND THOSE WHO SHOULD BE DACA RECIPIENTS. UH, I JUST GOT TO MEET SHARON AND ANGEL. SHARON, UH, SHOULD BE A CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF VALOR RECIPIENT BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN A NURSE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THOSE FIVE YEARS INCLUDE THE PANDEMIC, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. SO SHE HAS BEEN SAVING LIVES, RIGHT? AND ANGEL WANTS TO SAVE LIVES AND IS STUDYING TO DO SO RIGHT NOW. AND THEN LET'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DACA, UM, MAYOR, THE, UH, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY TENDS TO BE THE FACE OF DACA. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS STAGE, HMM, THIS IS IN PART THE FACE OF DACA. BUT LET'S NOT FORGET OUR, UM, OUR, UH, NEIGHBORS FROM POLAND AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD THAT ARE ALSO DACA RECIPIENTS. AND SO I THANK ONCE AGAIN, SENATOR CORNY AND SENATOR MURPHY, AND I ASKED THEM, DON'T START YOUR BI DON'T STOP YOUR BIPARTISANSHIP JUST ON, UH, GUN SAFETY REFORM. CONTINUE IT WITH IMMIGRATION, WITH COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM, WITH A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP. LET THESE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO LIVE, WORK, AND RAISE A FAMILY. UH, AND WE'LL TAKE YOU RIGHT HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY. 'CAUSE I TOO AM YOUR COMMISSIONER , REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATUS. THANK YOU, UH, CESA, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU. UM, WE WILL NOW HAVE, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, GENE WU, UH, WE ARE IN HIS DISTRICT FI IS, IS BEEN PROUDLY HERE FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, UH, IN THIS LOCATION. SO, UH, WITH YOU, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, GENE W THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. SIR, UM, MY NAME IS GENE WU, AND, UH, I'M AN IMMIGRANT. UH, MY PARENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS. I REPRESENT A, UH, MAJORITY IMMIGRANT DISTRICT. AND [00:15:03] TODAY I'M HAPPY FOR MY FRIENDS WHO ARE DREAMERS WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN SOME TYPE OF STATUS FOR THROUGH THE DACA PROGRAM. BUT I, I PERSONALLY, I'M NOT REALLY IN A CELEBRATORY MOOD BECAUSE I THINK THIS ANNIVERSARY, A DECADE ANNIVERSARY OF DACA MEANS THAT OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN UNABLE, UNWILLING AND JUST INCOMPREHENSIBLY UNABLE TO, TO FIX A SIMPLE PROBLEM. WHETHER THAT'S BECAUSE OF POLITICS, WHETHER THAT'S BECAUSE OF PARTISANSHIP, IT DOESN'T MATTER. WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT PUT THE FIRST MAN ON THE MOON. WE DEVELOPED THE INTERNET. WE'VE DONE SO MANY AMAZING THINGS, BUT TO JUST TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN PEOPLE. AND THE DREAMERS ARE OUR OWN PEOPLE. DREAMERS ARE AMERICANS. THEY GREW UP HERE. THEY LOVE OUR COUNTRY. THEY, MANY OF THEM HAVE DEFENDED OUR COUNTRY. MANY OF THEM HAVE DIED DEFENDING OUR COUNTRY AND TAKING CARE OF OUR NEIGHBORS. THIS IS A FACT. THEY ARE AS AMERICAN AS I AM AND ANYONE ELSE ON THIS STAGE. AND ALL IT IS, IS PAPERWORK. AND WE'RE ASKING CONGRESS, 10 YEARS IS ENOUGH. WE DON'T WANT TO COME BACK HERE IN ANOTHER 10 YEARS TO SAY DACA IS STILL HERE. WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE WHO ARE WELL EDUCATED, WHO ARE DRIVEN, WHO ARE PASSIONATE, WHO LOVE THIS COUNTRY WITH ALL OF THEIR HEART, BECAUSE IT IS THEIR COUNTRY. THEY ARE READY TO CONTRIBUTE. THEY'RE READY TO MAKE THIS THEIR FOREVER HOME. THEY'RE READY TO BE FULL ON AMERICANS. IT IS TIME WE GAVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY. IT IS TIME THAT WE BUILT OUR ECONOMY UP WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE AND WHO ARE DRIVEN, AND WHO LOVE THIS COUNTRY WITH EVERYTHING THEY HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, JEAN WU. UH, WE NOW HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNTY, UH, RODNEY ELLIS'S, COUNTY COMMISSIONER OFFICE, JOSE RIVERA. AND, AND I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE JOSE HERE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, BUT ALSO IMPORTANTLY BECAUSE IF, IF RODNEY, IF MR. COMMISSIONER ELSE WOULD'VE BEEN HERE, HE WOULD'VE COMMITTED ME TO ANOTHER 6:30 AM BIKE RIDE ON A SUNDAY MORNING. AND, UH, AND I, I THINK I WANNA SLEEP IN THE SUNDAY, SO, BUT, UH, PLEASE, I'LL, JOSE, I'M GLAD I COULD HELP WITH THAT. , MY NAME'S JOSE RIVERA. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER, UM, RODNEY ELLIS, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE. I WANT TO THANK SESA ESPINOZA FOR TAKING HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH IMMIGRATION STATUS AND LAUNCHING AN ADVOCACY GROUP, UM, WITH TAKING HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. INSTEAD OF RETREATING, YOU STEPPED UP AND YOU STEPPED OUT AND STEPPED UP FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED COMMUNITY DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONS LIKE FI THE, THE LARGEST AND MOST VOCAL IMMIGRANT RUN ORGANIZATION IN OUR REGION. FI STARTED AS A SMALL NONPROFIT FOCUSING ON YOUNG PEOPLE. BUT NOW YOU ARE A FORCE OF MOVEMENT. YOU ARE A MAJOR PLAYER AND UNMISTAKABLE VOICE IN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT IMMIGRANTS. AND 10 YEARS AGO TODAY, PRESIDENT OBAMA MADE GOOD ON HIS PROMISE TO ESPINOSA AND OTHER ADVOCATES ANNOUNCING THE DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD I ARRIVALS PROGRAM. WHAT MANY SAW AS A STOPGAP MEASURE HAS GIVEN 700,000 YOUNG PEOPLE TEMPORARY WORK PORN PERMITS IN HARRIS COUNTY, DACA, TURBOCHARGED FIAT'S EFFORTS. ESPINOSA AND HIS TEAM AND VOLUNTEERS WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO HELP FAMILIES INTERPRET THE CHANGES AND SUBMIT THE APPLICATIONS, MAKING SURE EVERYBODY GOT THE OPPORTUNITY THEY DESERVED. DACA WAS ALSO, IS ALSO GOOD POLICY THAT HELPS EVERYONE WITH DACA RECIPIENTS EXPERIENCE UPWARD ECONO ECONOMIC MOBILITY. IN 20 19, 50 8% OF RECIPIENTS MOVED ONTO A JOB WITH BETTER PAY. 48% MOVED TO A JOB WITH BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS, AND 53% MOVED TO A JOB WITH HEALTH INSURANCE AND OTHER BENEFITS. AND TEXAS ALONE DACA RECIPIENTS RECIPIENTS PAY 782.7 MILLION, ALMOST THE BILLION, BUT THIS IS JUST IN TAXES AND FEDERAL TAXES. AND 436.8 MILLION IN STATE AND LOCAL TAXES. DURING THE COVID TO 19 PANDEMIC, OVER 200, 202,000 DACA [00:20:01] RECIPIENTS WORKED ON THE FRONT LINES IN ESSENTIAL WORK, PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITIES AS WE CELEBRATE THE IMPACT OF DACA AND DREAMERS IN HARRIS COUNTY, WHERE ONE IN FOUR RESIDENTS ARE FOREIGN BORN, WE MUST BUILD ON FI'S MODEL OF BOLD GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY. AND WE MUST ALSO BRING IT TO ATTENTION, A VISION SHARED BY FI IN PRECINCT ONE, A WORLD WHERE DACA IS NOT NEEDED ON BEHALF OF PRECINCT ONE AND HARRIS COUNTY. AND, AND HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLI, THANK YOU FOR CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO AND DEMANDING ACTION FOR THE VICTIMS OF IMMIGRATION POLICY, BUT ALSO GUN VIOLENCE AND POLICE BRUTALITY, AND FOR THE GENERATIONS THAT WILL COME AFTER US WHO DESERVE A WORLD WHERE THIS LEVEL OF ACTIVISM IS NOT NEEDED. THANK YOU. AND YOU ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND WITHOUT THE BIKE RIDE. , GOOD TO SEE YOU GO. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. UM, SO YESTERDAY WHEN WE WERE AT COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UM, I, I TALKED ABOUT HOW OFTENTIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, WE THINK OF, OF THE SERVICE INDUSTRY AND, AND SPECIFICALLY LATINO SERVICE INDUSTRY. BUT I DID WANNA, I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, WOODY JUNTOS WHO IS STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH US. THEY, UH, THEY, UH, ORGANIZED THE KOREAN AND AMERICAN COMMUNITY, UH, AND, AND I'M, I'M TELLING YOU ON STAGE, WE'RE GONNA DO A LOT MORE WORK TOGETHER. WE WANT ABSOLUTELY MAKE SURE THAT IN A VIBRANT CITY SUCH AS HOUSTON, SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DIVERSITY EXISTS. THAT WE GIVE EVERYBODY A VOICE AND MORE THAN GIVE THEM A VOICE. WE, WE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S CHANGES, UH, FOR THEIR FUTURES. UH, YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS, UH, AT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WE READ THE NAMES OF, OF JESUS, WHO'S A PARAMEDIC OF SHANNON, WHO IS A NURSE OF WENDY, WHO IS A TEACHER AND OF MR. GUILLEN, WHO IS A HERO. AND LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY HE WAS A HERO. DURING HARVEY, MR. GUILLEN, A DACA RECIPIENT, WENT OUT TO RESCUE HOUSTONIANS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, HE PERISHED IN HIS MISSION TO SAVE HOUSTONIANS. BUT AS HE WAS PICKING UP PEOPLE, HE DIDN'T, NEVER DID WE HEAR, THEY ASKED PEOPLE WHAT THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS WAS OR WHAT THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS WAS. HE WENT OUT THERE IN HIS BOAT AND UNFORTUNATELY, CAPSIZED AND, AND PASSED AWAY AS A DACA RECIPIENT. SO, UM, MR. GUILLEN IS A HERO, BUT SO ARE ALL THE OTHER, UH, NOT ONLY DACA RECIPIENTS, BUT OUR PARENTS AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE MAKING HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY THE PLACE THAT IT IS TODAY. SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DO WANNA INTRODUCE, UH, A FEW DACA RECIPIENTS. UH, SHANNON, UH, SHE'S A, A NURSE AND SHE'S GONNA COME FORWARD. UM, I ACTUALLY MET SHANNON OVER A DECADE AGO, UH, WHEN WE WERE BOTH VERY YOUNG PEOPLE IN COLLEGE. UM, I HAD LES GRAY HAIR, WELL, ACTUALLY I HAD A BETTER HAIRLINE. AND, UH, IT WAS A LOT THINNER BACK THEN, . UH, BUT HERE WE ARE 10 YEARS LATER, UH, AND I WANT SHANNA TO TELL HER STORY AND WHY DACA, HOW DACA IMPACTED HER HER LIFE. SO, SHANNA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS SHARON IA GILLON, AND I AM A DACA RA DACA RECIPIENT. I CAME HERE TO THE UNITED STATES WHEN I WAS 14 YEARS OLD WITH DREAMS, LIKE ALL LIKE ANYBODY ELSE. AND WITH A LOT OF GHANA, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PASSION. AND I STARTED IN HIGH SCHOOL, UH, AND THE FIRST THING THAT I HEARD WAS COMMUNITY SERVICE. I FELL IN LOVE WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, COME ALONG WITH ME UNTIL NOW. AND IT HAS SHAPED ME TO WHO I AM NOW. UM, WHAT, UM, I HAVE DONE SO MANY THINGS FOR MY COMMUNITY BECAUSE I LOVE MY COMMUNITY. I AM FROM THIS PLACE. I HAVE HELPED REBUILD SCHOOLS. WHEN, UH, THE KATRINA HAPPENED IN LOUISIANA, I HAVE HELPED, UH, GIVE CLOTHES TO THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED OF IT TO JUST PROVIDE THE BASIC NEEDS. UH, DURING HIGH SCHOOL, I DID NOT KNOW THE, THE LANGUAGE, AND I WORKED SO HARD TO, TO LEARN THOSE THINGS TO, BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE INSPIRE ME. AND I GRADUATED WITH HONORS 10, TOP 10% IN MY CLASS, AND I WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF FOR THAT MOMENT. AND I CONTINUED TO WORK REALLY HARD. ONE MOMENT. UM, ONE TIME I, I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS GOING TO BE, UH, ABLE TO GO TO COLLEGE, BUT THEN PURVIEW A AND M UNIVERSITY OPENED THE DOORS FOR ME AND THEY EMBRACED ME, AND THEY, UH, UM, GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME WHO I AM NOW. UM, I GRADUATED WITH HONORS AGAIN, TOP 10% COMM LAW FROM PRAIRIE VIEW, A UNIVERSITY IN BIOLOGY. AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY SOMETHING HIT ME BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW I WAS NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO WORK IN THIS COUNTRY. I WAS DEVASTATED. MY PARENTS WERE DEVASTATED. AND THEN I WORK AS A MAID, CLEANING HOUSES. BUT I DID IT WITH HONOR BECAUSE WORK IS WORK AND PASSION IS PASSION. AND I DID IT FOR VETERANS AND THEY, UH, FOR A VETERAN FAMILY. AND THEY EMBRACED ME SO MUCH. AND I AM THANKFUL [00:25:01] TO THEM TOO. AFTER THAT, UM, WHEN WE FOUND OUT ABOUT DACA, IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR MANY OF US. AND I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, GO FOR A CAREER AND WORK IN MY CAREER. BUT THEN I HAD MY CHILD AND A NURSE. IT'S SO AMAZING. A NURSE WAS SO KIND TO ME WHEN I WAS AT THE HOSPITAL. AND THEN FROM THAT TIME ON, I DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO BECOME A NURSE. AND AGAIN, PRAIRIEVIEW A AND M UNIVERSITY EMBRACED ME. AND I GRADUATED WITH HONORS, UM, FROM, UH, WITH A NURSING DEGREE. AND NOW I AM WORKING AS A NURSE. I WORKED DURING THE PANDEMIC. I HAVE SEEN MANY THINGS THAT I DO NOT WISH ANYBODY SEES, BECAUSE YOUR SOUL BREAKS YOUR HEARTBREAK WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE SUFFERING. BUT AT THAT MOMENT, YOU CANNOT BE WEAK. I HAD, I COULD NOT BE WEAK. I HAD TO BE STRONGER FOR MY PATIENTS. BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU WAKE UP, YOU ASK GOD FOR STRENGTH AND TO ASK YOU, ASK THEM FOR WISDOM SO THAT YOU CAN HELP YOUR PATIENT, SAVE YOUR PATIENT. I WORK IN ONE OF THE BEST HOSPITALS IN THE WORLD, IN THE MEDICAL CENTER. I WILL HAVE NEVER THOUGHT THAT DREAM WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED. BUT HERE I AM, AN EXAMPLE. AND I WANT TO TELL THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT THINK THAT WE ARE A THREAT TO THIS COUNTRY. NO, WE ARE NOT. THAT'S RIGHT. WE ARE ESSENTIAL. WE SAVE LIVES. WE PUT OUR BASIC NEEDS ASIDE FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY, UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE PASSIONATE FOR WHAT WE DO, AND WE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHO WE ARE. WE ARE RESILIENT, AND WE HAVE ACHIEVED SO MUCH BECAUSE OF OUR HARD WORK, BECAUSE OF OUR DREAMS. MM-HMM . AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE DA AT THIS MOMENT, THEY DESERVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. OUR FAMILIES DESERVE THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE. WE FIGHT, NOT WITH VIOLENCE, WITH BY EXAMPLE. MM-HMM . OUR EXAMPLE IS WHAT'S GOING TO OPEN DOORS. AND THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO DACA GET TO KNOW US. I GIVE YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY. MM-HMM . GOD WILL OPEN YOUR EYES JUST LIKE IT HAS OPENED MANY, MANY EYES. MM-HMM . GET TO KNOW US, GET TO GET INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY. JUST LIKE WE GET INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE COME FROM. AND THAT INSTEAD OF BEING A THREAT, WE ARE ESSENTIAL. AND WE ARE HERE TO STAY BECAUSE THIS IS OUR HOME. THIS IS OUR PLACE WHERE WE, WE HAVE BUILT SO MUCH. MM-HMM . AS A NURSE, IT'S JUST AMAZING. UM, HOW YOU GO EVERY DAY. YES, YOU ARE TIRED, YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU'RE TIRED, BUT HEY, YOU LEAVE ALL YOUR PROBLEMS BEHIND. I LEAVE ALL MY PROBLEMS BEHIND. DOESN'T MATTER HOW SICK YOU ARE OR HOW SICK I AM, YOU GO, YOU HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND YOU DO IT FOR YOUR PATIENT. MM-HMM . I DO IT FOR MY PATIENT. I WANT THEM TO GO HOME AND BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES. AND I DON'T SEE COLOR, I DON'T SEE THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS WHEN I'M TAKING CARE OF THEM. I DON'T SEE THAT. I SEE A SOUL, I SEE A DREAM, I SEE THEIR HOPE, AND I JUST WANT THEM TO GO HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND ENJOY THEIR LIVES. 'CAUSE WE ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE TO ENJOY. MM-HMM . THAT'S MY GOAL. MM-HMM . TO GIVE MY BEST WITH EXCELLENCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INTEGRITY. MM-HMM . AND I PREPARE EVERY DAY TO BE THE BEST OF THE BEST. MM-HMM . I'M NOT A, I'M NOT JUST NOT A LEADER IN MY COMMUNITY, BUT I'M ALSO A LEADER IN MY HOSPITAL. MM-HMM. MM-HMM . I MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, OR WE GIVE QUALITY AND SAFE CARE. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . THAT'S WHAT WE DO. DREAMERS. ALRIGHT. MM-HMM . THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU SO MUCH SHANNON, FOR YOUR STORY. I ALSO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, I KNOW SHE'S GONNA GET SHY, SHANNON. OFTENTIMES WE DON'T TALK ABOUT OUR PARENTS, BUT, UH, HAVING GROWN UP, I IT IT TAKES A VILLAGE. YES, IT REALLY DOES. AND OUR PARENTS ARE THE ORIGINAL DREAMERS AND THEY DESERVE, UH, MORE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES AND THE HONOR THAT THEY'VE WORKED SO HARD TO GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE TODAY. SO [00:30:04] OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WENDY. UM, SHE IS A TEACHER. UM, FUTURE OF OUR NATION IS WITH DREAMER TEACHERS, UH, TEACHING THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY. UH, AND, AND WHAT A TOUGH TIME AND WHAT A, WHEN I ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH TIME TO BE A TEACHER FOR THE VARIETY OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED. UM, AND WE EXPECT SO MUCH FROM YOU. BUT, UH, WE WANT TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE JUST, UH, BRIEFLY YOUR EXPERIENCE AS BEING A DACA RECIPIENT AND NOW A TEACHER. UM, HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS, UH, WENDY RAMOS. I'M A TEACHER FOR ALDEN ISD, UM, . YES. OH GOD. UH, I CAME HERE WHEN I WAS, UH, SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS OLD. UH, I HONESTLY HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE WERE GOING TO. MY MOM JUST SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO VISIT SOME FAMILY. AND, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T BOARD AND DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I WAS. I WAS GOING TO END UP. UM, I DIDN'T REALIZE MY STATUS UNTIL I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL UNTIL I WAS 18, YOU KNOW, 19 YEARS OLD. AND THAT'S WHEN IT HIT. WHEN THE REAL WORLD COMES, WHEN YOU HAD TO GET A JOB, WHEN YOU HAD TO START PAYING BILLS WHEN YOU WANT TO GET A CAR, THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED I'M NOT ABLE TO DO WHAT MY OTHER CLASSMATES ARE DOING. UH, LUCKILY AT THAT TIME, 2012, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DACA PROGRAM WAS STARTED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND I WAS ABLE TO APPLY, ACTUALLY, THAT'S HOW I MET CESA. MY FIRST APPLICATION WAS WITH HIM THROUGH HIM, THROUGH FI. UM, AND I'VE, YOU KNOW, UH, PARTICIPATED WITH THEM EVER SINCE. I'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WITH, UH, UNITED WE DREAM AND, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. SO, UM, I HAVE BEEN PRETTY ACTIVE, BUT ON MY WAY HERE, I WAS JUST THINKING OF, LIKE SHE SAID, ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THROUGH DACA. AND EVEN THOUGH WE, WE DO NEED A PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR NOT ONLY US, BUT OUR FAMILIES. UH, DACA HAS BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM AND IT HAS BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP ME INTO, UH, THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF, UH, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL. UH, I RECENTLY BECAME A HOMEOWNER. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M A TEACHER. UH, AS A TEACHER, EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT. UM, I'M NOT JUST A TEACHER. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO BE A THERAPIST. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO BE A COUNSELOR, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO BE A NURSE, YOU KNOW. SO IT'S, EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT. AND, UM, THE GREATEST THING FOR ME, UM, IS THAT I'M ABLE TO BE A ROLE MODEL EVERY DAY FOR MY COMMUNITY AND FOR MY SIBLINGS. AND, UH, I GET A LOT OF STUDENTS WHO SAY, WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED, AND I SEE THEM EVERY DAY AND THEY COME HERE AND THEY SAY, WELL, I DON'T HAVE PAPERS. I'M UNDOCUMENTED. WHAT AM I GONNA DO? AND I WAS AT THAT POSITION WHEN I, WHEN I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO. I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING TO WORK. MY FIRST JOB WAS AT MCDONALD'S, ACTUALLY, . AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I STARTED TO MOVE MY WAY UP AND, AND, UM, NOW I'M A TEACHER. AND SO I GIVE 'EM MY STORY. AND, UH, I FEEL LIKE WITH THAT I'M MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES. UM, THIS IS GONNA BE MY FOURTH YEAR AS A TEACHER. AND I STILL GET STUDENTS WHO ARE GRADUATING NOW FROM THE TIME I STARTED BEING A TEACHER, AND THEY REACH OUT TO ME AND THEY SAY, THANK YOU FOR INSPIRING ME. THANK YOU FOR INSPIRING ME TO GO TO SCHOOL. THANK YOU FOR NOT LETTING ME DROP OUT. THANK YOU FOR, UM, INSPIRING ME TO SHOW, SHOW ME THAT THERE ARE GREATER THINGS OUT THERE, UH, REGARDLESS OF, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR LEGAL STATUS. AND, UH, I'M JUST THANKFUL FOR THAT. UM, THANKFUL FOR THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, AND I, I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO, TO MY SUCCESS BECAUSE I DO FEEL SUCCESSFUL. I, I, I FEEL LIKE DACA HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY TO THOSE KIDS THAT ARE LISTENING AND THAT ARE SEEING THIS, DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS. UH, THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A WAY. AND, UH, I'M AN EXAMPLE. I'M HERE TO SHOW, I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THAT IT IS POSSIBLE. AND, UM, TO THOSE AGAINST DACA, TO THOSE WHO OPPOSE US, I JUST WANT TO SAY, LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH THE SLIGHT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. WE HAVE NURSES, WE HAVE DOCTORS, WE HAVE TEACHERS, LAWYERS. IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO WITH A FULL CITIZENSHIP. UM, AND THAT IS IT. I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, GIVE MY SHORT STORY AND JUST THAT MESSAGE. GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FULL CITIZENSHIP. AND WE WILL DO AMAZING THINGS. WE'LL DO GREAT THINGS MORE THAN WE ALREADY HAVE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. OUR, OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. HE IS STUDYING TO BE A NURSE. AND UNFORTUNATELY, ANGEL FELL OUT OF THE, UH, THE TIME, UH, TO BE A DACA RECIPIENT. HE ARRIVED HERE IN 2010. AND AS MAYOR TURNER STATED AT THE BEGINNING, YOU HAD TO HAVE ARRIVED FOR JUNE 15TH, 2007. SO TODAY [00:35:01] NOT ONLY MARKS OUR, OUR A CELEBRATION OF THE 10 YEARS OF DACA, IT ALSO MARKS A CELEBRATION AS REPRESENTATIVE WOO SAID, OF US RECOMMITTING OURSELVES TO, NOT ONLY TO FINDING A PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR DACA RECIPIENTS, BUT IT ALSO, UH, RECOMMITS US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FIND A SOLUTION FOR, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE AN ANGEL AND OUR FAMILIES AND OUR FRIENDS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES THAT DACA RECIPIENTS DO. SO, UH, HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS AN ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, UH, ENGLISH AND SPANISH. UH, WHEN I STARTED, I'M A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. I CAME TO THE US WHEN I WAS 10 IN 2010. AND THAT WAS PAST THE DACA DEADLINE. UH, THE HARDEST THING WHEN I CAME TO THE US WAS LEARNING ENGLISH. UH, THANKFULLY IN DALLAS, I'M FROM DALLAS. UH, , WE ALREADY FORGAVE HIM FROM THAT PART. . YEAH. UH, I WAS IN A BILINGUAL PROGRAM, SO THAT HELPED ME A LOT FROM THIRD TO FIFTH GRADE. BUT IN MIDDLE, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT WAS OVER. I HAD TO LIKE FORCE MYSELF TO ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH IN SCHOOL. UM, I WASN'T WORRIED ABOUT MY UNDOCUMENTED STATUS YET AT THAT TIME UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL CAME SENIOR YEAR. THANKFULLY I WENT TO THE, TO TOWNVIEW, THE SCHOOL OFFENSIVE AND MANAGEMENT. AND OVER THERE THEY HELPED A LOT. THEIR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS, THEY'RE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THAT. AND ALSO, VILLE WAS A MAGNET SCHOOL. TO GET INTO A MAGNET SCHOOL, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A TEST AND GO THROUGH AN INTERVIEW PROCESS. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A BIG NUMBER OF UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS THERE. SO THAT SHOWS A LOT. AND WHAT ELSE? WHEN THE TIME TO APPLY TO COLLEGE CAME, UH, THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT 'CAUSE I COULDN'T FIND SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT DUE TO MY STATUS. BUT I MET SOMEONE WHO HELPED ME A LOT WITH THAT. HIS NAME IS JUAN CARLOS ERDA. HE'S MY MENTOR. HE WORKS FOR AVIC, THE AMERICAN BUSINESS IMMIGRATION COALITION. AND RIGHT NOW HE'S ACTUALLY IN WASHINGTON DC WITH THE ANNIVERSARY OR HE HELPED ME THROUGH LOOK WHAT COLLEGES TO APPLY FOR, LIKE WHAT'S GONNA GIVE YOU MORE FINANCIAL AID AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UH, NOW I'M AT YOUR H AND I'VE MET MANY PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS. UH, I DIDN'T HAVE AN UNDOCUMENTED FRIEND THROUGH MY WHOLE HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL UNTIL I CAME TO, UH, I MET SOMEONE. AND THAT MEANT A LOT 'CAUSE I HAD SOMEONE TO THAT I COULD RELATE TO. UH, ONE THING ABOUT, UH, IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A DREAM CENTER AND I'M CURRENTLY PUSHING TO HAVE A DREAM CENTER AT, UH, UTSA HAS ONE. AND SAN ANTONIO IS SMALLER THAN UHUH HAS SO MANY UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS, DACA STUDENTS, AND WE DON'T HAVE ONE. SO HOPEFULLY I'LL MAKE THAT HAPPEN BEFORE I GRADUATE IN TWO YEARS. ALRIGHT, UH, I'M GONNA START THE NURSING PROGRAM IN KATY FROM U IN AUGUST. UH, THEY CAN, THE THING ABOUT NURSING AND ANY PROFESSIONAL CAREER THAT YOU PICK IS THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET TO WORK THERE. SO, I LIKE TEXAS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T GET LICENSED THERE. SO THE GOAL IS TO GET MY BACHELOR'S AT UHKD AND THEN GO TO CALIFORNIA, BECOME A RESIDENT IN CALIFORNIA. CALIFORNIA HAS A LAW THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE WITH AN IT NUMBER, UH, TO WORK THERE WITH THE LICENSE SO I CAN WORK AS A NURSE IN CALIFORNIA. SO, UH, YEAH, WE GONNA LOSE YOU. AWESOME. WE, WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANGEL TO CALIFORNIA. SO TO ANGEL AND TO EVERYBODY ELSE, I TELL 'EM THAT WE WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FIND A PATHWAY TO KEEP YOU HERE. 'CAUSE I, I KIND OF LIKE THIS GUY. I WANT TO HEAR RIGHT? , SO FIGHT U OF H. GO KOOKS. UH, SO ALL TO SAY IS THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO JOINED US TODAY. ONCE AGAIN, IT'S A RECOMMITMENT OF US. UH, NOT, NOT FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, BUT I WANT TO BE HERE 10 YEARS FROM NOW CELEBRATING WHAT WE DID TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET STATUS, UH, FOR EVERYBODY. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT IMMIGRANTS MAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO HARRIS COUNTY, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TO OUR FAMILIES, TO OUR FRIENDS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING A LOT ABOUT LATELY IS WE WANT TO CHALLENGE PEOPLE WHEN, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY CALL A POLICE OFFICER, WHEN THEY CALL A PARAMEDIC, DO THEY ASK THEM WHAT THEIR CITIZENSHIP STATUS IS? OR DID THEY JUST GET THE HELP? AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED AT HOW MANY DACA RECIPIENTS ARE NURSES ARE, ARE, ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THEY'RE IN DIFFERENT FIELDS. AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND ONCE AGAIN, RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO PUSHING FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM AND FOR A PATHWAY, A PERMANENT PATHWAY FOR DACA RECIPIENTS AND FOR OUR FAMILIES. SO, [00:40:19] AND SO, YOU KNOW, LASTLY, WHEN WE WERE AT A RALLY LAST WEEK, SOMEBODY ASKED ME IS, HOW CAN YOU SAY YOUR STATUS OUT LOUD AND NOT BE AFRAID? AND I'M THE WORST PERSON TO ASK HIM THAT QUESTION 'CAUSE I'M NEVER AFRAID. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT REMINDED ME OF, OF, OF SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN TELLING YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR A LONG TIME IS THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION OF THE HAND THAT WE WERE DEALT, WE DEFINE OUR STATUS. OUR STATUS DOES NOT DEFINE US. THAT'S RIGHT. AND WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT WE HOLD OUR DIGNITY, HOLD OUR COMMUNITY TO OUR STANDARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DEFINE OUR STATUS. THAT OUR STATUS, BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES DOES NOT DEFINE US. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. UM, IS THERE ANY QUESTION WE CAN TAKE MAYBE ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR ANY OF OUR SPEAKERS? IF NOT, THEN ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER FOR, FOR BEING HERE. UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU STATE REP AND THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU TO, FOR BEING HERE AND FOR, UM, STAYING HERE. 'CAUSE WE'RE HERE TO STAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I ACTUALLY DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR, UH, HANNAH SYLVESTER TURNER. HEY, RELATED TO DACA, IS IT RELATED TO DACA GUN VIOLENCE? UM, WITH MORE HIGH PROFILE GUN VIOLENCE HERE IN HOUSTON WITH CHILDREN? WHY DON TAKE IT OFFLINE. YEAH. LET'S, LET'S STAY FOCUSED ON MAC FOCUSED. OKAY. I DO HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION. YES. YOU TALK ABOUT STATUS, THE EDUCATOR TALKED ABOUT HOW SHE'S STILL WORKING THROUGH HER APPLICATION. I NEED DR. RECIPIENTS ON STAGE. I KNOW YOU ALL GET A PATH TO CITIZENS. ARE ANY OF YOU ACTUALLY US CITIZENS NOW? AND I ASK THAT BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO PATHWAY. THERE'S NO PATHWAY, THERE'S NO MISCONCEPTION. SO UNDER PEOPLE THINK YES. WHO AUTOMATICALLY BECOME SO UNDER DACA, THERE IS NO PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP. THERE'S OTHER AVENUES THAT PEOPLE CAN TAKE, BUT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 12.5 HOURS TO GO THROUGH ALL THE PATHWAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN TAKE TO BECOME US CITIZENS. AND IT'S A VERY HARD PROCESS. OFTENTIMES WHEN PEOPLE SAY, GET IN LINE, THERE REALLY IS NO LINE TO GET INTO BECAUSE THE PATHWAYS JUST DON'T EXIST. UH, I MYSELF HAVE BEEN A DACA RECIPIENT NOW FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. UH, I'M MARRIED TO A US CITIZEN. I, I, UH, MY BROTHER'S A US CITIZEN. IF MY BROTHER PETITIONS FOR ME TWO TODAY, IT WILL TAKE 20 YEARS FOR ME TO SAY THAT FOR THEM TO PROVE THAT THAT IS MY BROTHER. AND THEN AFTER THAT, I WOULD'VE TO LEAVE TO MEXICO, ASK FOR MY, FOR MY PERMIT TO COME BACK IN. AND I COULD BE BARRED FOR TWO TO 10 YEARS BECAUSE I WAS HERE UNDOCUMENTED FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER I TURNED 18 YEARS OLD. AND THE COST, THAT'S A MOUTHFUL. AND THE COST, THAT'S ANOTHER THING. THE COST IS, IS ASTRONOMICAL. THERE'S A LOT, UH, THERE. SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS FOR THERE TO BE A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP, UH, FOR THERE TO BE A NEW PROGRAM THAT OFFERS A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP BECAUSE OTHER THAN, OTHER THAN THIS COUNTRY, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THAT WE KNOW. OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ASK ME LIKE, WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU FROM MEXICO? AND I'M LIKE, MEXICO CITY. AND THEN THEY ASK ME, OH, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? AND I'M LIKE, MEXICO CITY. AND THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, BUT WHAT, WHAT, UM, WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD? AND I'M LIKE, UH, I WAS BORN IN THIS HOSPITAL. AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, IS THAT CLOSE TO THIS AND THAT? AND I'M LIKE, DON'T ASK ME ANYMORE. 'CAUSE I DON'T, THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I KNOW. BUT IF YOU ASK ME WHERE THE BEST, UH, FOOD IS HERE IN HOUSTON OR WHERE PEOPLE HANG OUT OR WHERE WE GO AND PLAY, OR YOU KNOW, OR, YOU KNOW, IF I'VE BEEN TO, TO SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES IN FIFTH WARD OR YOU KNOW, THIRD WARD ANYWHERE, I, I CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY AND I CAN TELL YOU HOW TO GET THERE. 'CAUSE I KNOW HOUSTON AND I'M FROM HOUSTON EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT, UH, THE US SAYS THAT I'M NOT FROM HOUSTON, BUT I THINK I'M PRETTY HOUSTONIAN. RIGHT? YEAH. , I HAVE ONE QUESTION FROM MAYOR FROM END. SO I SAID, KIND OF SPOTLIGHTED THE MISCONCEPTION IS WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR. PEOPLE OFTEN DON'T DIVE INTO DACA, WHAT IT MEANS. WHO ARE THE DREAMERS? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? THESE CITIZENS? 32,000 MAYOR THAT YOU SPOTLIGHTED YEAH. AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY'S ECONOMY. TALK TO ME FROM A POLITICAL STANDPOINT, IT SEEMS OFTENTIMES THAT FEAR AND RHETORIC GET IN THE WAY OF PEOPLE AND THE STORIES AND THE DIFFERENCE THAT THEY'RE MAKING. AND SO YOU MADE A PLEA TO CONGRESS TODAY, MAYOR. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD PUT PEOPLE BEFORE POLITICS. WELL, LET ME JUST, LEMME JUST SAY TO YOU THAT, UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOUSTONIANS. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO GREW UP IN HARRIS COUNTY. UM, PEOPLE WHO WE HAVE NURTURED, WE HAVE EDUCATED, UM, GROOMED THEM, MENTORED THEM. UM, THEY HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH TO THEIR CITY. UM, WHETHER IT'S IN COMMUNITY SERVICE, WHETHER IT'S VOLUNTEERING, WHETHER IT'S CONTRIBUTING TO OUR ECONOMY, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THE, THE FIGURE $1.1 BILLION ANNUALLY, UH, FROM DREAMERS. BUT, BUT THEY ARE HOUSTON AND HOUSTON [00:45:01] IS THEM. SO, UH, AND THAT'S NOT BEING POLITICAL. THAT'S NOT BEING, UH, DEMOCRAT OR A REPUBLICAN. I'M JUST SPEAKING OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED TO MAKE THIS THE GREAT CITY THAT IT IS. MM-HMM . OKAY. SO HOW, HOW DO YOU SEPARATE THEM OUT? YOU KNOW, AND LISTENING TO CESAR, UM, YOU KNOW, HE MAY HAVE BEEN BORN SOMEPLACE ELSE IN MEXICO CITY, BUT HOUSTON IS HOME. MM-HMM . OKAY. BY LISTENING TO, TO SHARON. UH, LOOK, UM, SHARON GREW UP IN THIS CITY AND, UH, WENT TO PRAIRIE VIEW ON THE HILL. OKAY. AND GOT A NURSING DEGREE FROM PRAIRIE VIEW, UM, FROM CLEANING PEOPLE'S HOTELS IN HOUSTON TO NOW, UH, BEING A NURSE IN THE MEDICAL CENTER MM-HMM . UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, NOT ONLY SAVING LIVES, BUT RISKING HER OWN LIFE. AND THE STORY AFTER STORY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE TEACHER FROM ALDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES ME ANY MORE OF A HOUSTONIAN THAN SHE IS? SHE TEACHES IN ALDE, THE MAYOR LIVES IN ALDE. MM-HMM . OKAY. BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO GRADUATED FROM ALDE. SO WHY WOULD MY STATUS BE ANY BETTER OR GREATER THAN HERS? THE REALITY IS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THIS CITY WHAT IT IS, MAKING THIS CITY WHAT IT IS. UM, AND MY CITIZENSHIP IS NOT ANY GREATER THAN THEIRS. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THEY HELP ME TO BE THE MAYOR OF THIS GREAT CITY BECAUSE I SERVICE THEM. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. AND THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARATES THEM IS SOME, IS A STATUS THAT WE HAVE GIVEN TO THEM, UM, THAT REALLY MAKES IT, HAS KEPT THEM HERE. BUT WHO WANTS TO LIVE IN A STATE OF UNCERTAINTY THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. OKAY. SO IT'S MY HOPE THAT, UM, UH, WE'LL REMOVE THE UNCERTAINTY AND, UM, UH, UM, TAKE OFF THE CHARACTERIZATION. YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL, TO ME, IT ALWAYS REMINDS ME OF PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO HELP MAKE THIS COUNTRY THE GREAT COUNTRY THAT IT IS. AND EVERY SO OFTEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE VOTER RIGHTS, THE VOTER RIGHTS BILL. WHAT SENSE IS THAT MADE? OKAY. EITHER WE ARE WHO WE SAY WE ARE OR WE ARE NOT. AND, AND TO FURTHER ON ON THE MAYOR'S POINT, AND, UM, I OFTEN, UM, I OFTEN REMIND NOT ONLY THE MAYOR TURNER, BUT, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND, AND AND REP GENE WU, THAT THEY HAVE SUCH A BIG RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE HOUSTON IS THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED STATES. AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A, A BLESSING BECAUSE WE'RE LITERALLY THE MICROCOSM AND THE, AND THE BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC OF PEOPLE. BUT IT ALSO IS A CHALLENGE 'CAUSE WE, THEIR LEADERSHIP IS GONNA MARK WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED STATES IS AND FOR IT, FOR WHO IT IS FOR. SO WE WANT, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CONCLUDE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, . IF ANY OF THE MEDIA WANTS TO TALK TO OUR, OUR, OUR SPEAKERS, UH, THE, THE, THIS, UM, TESTIMONY THAT WE SHARE, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DO SO, UH, AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU MARY TURNER ONCE AGAIN FOR COMING. ANGEL, PROUD OF YOU, MAN. PROUD OF YOU. GOT NO, YOU'RE GOOD. SO PROUD OF YOU. THANK YOU. SO PROUD OF YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. WHAT, WHAT GRADE DO YOU TEACH? I TEACH HIGH SCHOOL. HIGH SCHOOL. OH, YOU LOOK LIKE A HIGH SCHOOL FOOD DESK. . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.