June 12, 2013

*Watch Speech Here*

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District joined Congressman Gutierrez (IL-04), Chairman of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, House colleagues, fathers facing deportation, and representatives from reform advocacy groups today to call on President Obama to suspend deportations for those who would be eligible for eventual citizenship in the immigration bill currently being debated.

Every day, the United States government deports over 1,000 individuals who would, if Congress acts, qualify for legal status and eventual citizenship. These are individuals who have lived, worked, and raised their families in the United States and do not have criminal records beyond violating U.S. immigration laws. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which Congresswoman Titus recently voted to preserve, currently only protects DREAMers from deportation.

“Comprehensive immigration reform is a moral and economic necessity,” Congresswoman Titus said. “It is exciting to see progress being made, but as Congress considers legislation, over 1,000 potential citizens are being deported every day, separating individuals from their families and the communities they call home.”

In April, Congresswoman Titus worked very closely with Martin Martinez on his deportation case, assisting him through the legal process and working with officials to secure his release from an immigration detention center and reunite him with his family. Mr. Martinez, whose wife is a U.S. citizen, was granted a stay of removal and the opportunity to reopen his case. Mr. Martinez is a longtime member of the Las Vegas community, rearing his family and working in the U.S. for many years. If President Obama acts, individuals like Mr. Martinez will be able to remain with their families; and the government will be able to better use its resources to target those who pose a threat to public safety and national security.

“Martin Martinez's case highlights why comprehensive immigration reform is so important," Titus said. "I look forward to supporting a bill that unites families and enables people to come out of the shadows, giving them the chance to gain legal status and, eventually, citizenship. In the meantime, we must act now to stop families and communities from being unnecessarily divided and suspend deportations to move the immigration reform debate forward.”