Her mom lost her position working at the hospital and they lost their legal status. When her mom got after she realized the implications of undocumented status when her mom got into a bike accident, she needed treatment. Because they were uninsured, she treated herself through Home Remedies and prayer. She is a sophomore at rutgers on donated de through the rships and founded rutgers dreamers. And student athlete competing at rutgers university, rutgers, track and field team and news editor of rutgers university, newspaper. How many hours do i have in the day . I would like to know. I would like to my own guest at the state of the union. Im so proud of her. Statewide organizer for californias dream network. Im so proud of them and the head of the organization, they have done so much toll protect our dreamers. Melody was at our press conference and im proud of her. She was born in guatemala. After growing up without parents, she was reunited in t art of the los angeles wn was nine years old and earned a bachelors agree at california State University, los angeles and graduated with a masters from the university of Southern California, masters om u. S. C. And focused on the representation of undocumented students in mass communication. She works as California Dream Network statewide youth organizer as a devoted advocate for human and doctorate recipient and her life goal is to continue bending the arc of the june versus. More from my colleagues. The house reached, now set the record for the longest continuous speech in the house ince 1909. Wonder what that was . This is congressman coleman who has spent with us and i want to read from her testimony. Par tmpemp et is a dreamer and been in the Program Since 2012 and graduated from school of law in may of 2016. He was brought to the United States when he was five years old and lived in the United States since then. He was admitted to the new ersey state bar on january 24, 2018. Congratulations. And previously admitted to the Pennsylvania State bar on december 18, 2017. He was the first dreamer ever admitted to the new jersey and pennsylvania bar associations. D when his status expired on august 9, 2018, he could be deported from the only country he knows and lifted away from his family without authorization or legal status. His employment options and his law degree to use will be substantially limited. He wants to make sure the white house chief of staff knows he is far from lazy. He just looked at his college and law school record. Hank you congresswoman this is the story of her constituent, her statement is below. I just graduated from High School Three days before deferred action on deferred arrivals was announced and i was accepted at san diego university. There is some uncertainty in applying for daca but a risk worth taking. I was enthusiastic to work and serve my community. I graduated this year with a Political Science degree. I have seen the toll that harsh Immigration Enforcement is taking on my community. We lose sight of the real impact. This is important, that harsh enforcement has on the libes of hardworking families. I have helped thousands of the residents of san diego and there is a failed and inhumane policy. I continue to serve my community and assure that we continue to build a movement that affords people the right to live with dignity in the United States. How beautiful. These statements are so beautiful. I dont know who made that speech in 2009 whether the speech competed for the longest. That was not my goal today. But we have so many testimonies, real testimony in the words of the dreamers, as i said, the most eloquent of all. Staff to say that when i came to the floor earlier, i wanted to make sure that we are using our 40 hours between 8 00 this morning with the words to condense or the prayers to inspire. So i felt when i came to the floor, i would be reading the bible because the bible is so so many pasges that take us to a higher place, to have a conversation of tha man beings, all gods children at a higher place. Again, referencing the 40 days in the Old Testament and new testament. The gospel of matthew, which is so, so beautiful in terms of inspiration. But i know that many people quote the gospel of matthew many times. But they only quote the first part where they talk about when i was hungry do i have it here . In the as hungry gospel of matthew and most people know when a person comes and place for you in heaven, when i was hungry , when i was thirsty, you gave me a drink. When i was in prison, you visited me. That whole list. And then the lord says and then the person says, when did i do this, i didnt see you. The lord sees when you do it for the least of my brethren. So that was the first part. But in the very first part of it, the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit in his glorious throne and all the nations will gather and he will separate the people as the shepard separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep on his right and the goats on the left. And the king will say, the king being the lord, the son of man, the son of man. When the king will say to those on his right, come, you are blessed by my father. Take your inheritance and prepare for the creation of the world. While i was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was a stranger and you invited and i was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was in prison, i love that one the best, i was in prison and you visited me. When did i see you . When did we see you as a stranger and need clothes . When did we go visit you. Truly i tell you, whatever you did, for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. This is the part the really find challenging and should all Pay Attention to. Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me, those who are curse with the he ternl fire for the devil, while i was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and nothing to drink. And i was a stranger and didnt invite me. I was sick and imprisoned and you didnt look after me. They answered. Lord, when did i see you . Needing clothes, sick or in prison and did not help you. He will reply, truly i tell you, whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will all go away to eternal punishment. Its not just what we do to take the opportunity to help, feed and clothe, its what we do not do. The judgment was made about. To minister to the needs of gods creation and we are all gods creation is an act of worship. Inore those is to ignore god. As people of faith as we all profess to be and we believe faith is a gift that we do believe that we are all god hes children, whatever we are, we are all gods children and created in the image and likeness of god and when christ came down from heaven to share tore participate in our humanity, he enabled us to participate in his difficult vint. That spark. We respect the people that we have to also recognize it in our ourselves and the responsibility it carries with us. I choose to go back to where we had a much better reception, loving the dreamers and wanting to get the job done, because in addressing their needs, we are talking about who we are as a nation. Have another statement from congresswoman Bonnie Watson coleman. She talks about the sisters from new jersey. The sisters came to the United States at 4nd 9 years old with venezuela. Fleeing one earned two associate degrees from a college in new jersey. She is pursuing an undergraduate degree while she works fulltime for new Jersey Business and industry association. Daniellea is a cofounder a business for take home physics lab. How many could do that . The kits allow students who cant attend college lab courses to take an online version at home. Her sister is awaiting word this spring on College Acceptance at camden college. With her dream to be a vet tech, but without daca status, she wont be able to legally drive and attend the program or work. Alex said in an article in c nmp n, she said i its scary, my home cries. She is a positive person and is hoping that something goodwill happen for us. Unform, if the president doesnt extend daca protections, they will be forced to leave. She was tol, i will leave and close my business and leave work and school. Thats why we have to pass a bill and thats why i would hope the speaker of the house by giving us a chance to vote on the dreamer bill, a bipartisan dreamer bill on the floor of the house. Carolyn maloney is with us, i thank her for this testimony. Its about diego. He was an intern at her office and was a guest for the state of the union. Heres his story. Our Family History traces generations of ecuadorians since the early days of the republic. Immigration was not common for us. My parents and fwrarntes endured great periods of political instability. In 1999 at age 6, following an economic crash and a coup detat my mother began making plans to move to the United States. By august, 2001, i arrived in new york city and we settled in queens. I was enrolled in Public Schools and i learned english and within a year i blended in with the rest of the children. I was always aware of my status and i was quickly aware of how long and unlikely any Immigration Reform in congress would be. In 2017 i faced the devastating ability of degree denied accepting Student Loans and scholarships that denied my ots at the college of my choice. I psever and attended hunter college. President obamas announcement of daca wasmy rack louse. I entered the work force immediately and found myself employment in one of the leading wine retailers in the country. While i still work today i also entered an internship from the District Office of congresswoman maloney which further cemented my belief that Good Government is one that helps people. The highest cost of living in new york and the strains of paying tuition out of pocket still brought great challenges but with daca, i felt that anything was possible. Now that daca is on its last breath i have no doubt that the courage and hope it has given us all will carry us on until we all take our oath of allegiance. So beautiful. Thank you. From congresswoman yvette clarke, another proud brooklyn representative. She was here before but thank you cookwoman clarke. Joel Perez Hernandez is a new York Public School graduate and proud new yorker whose parents brought him to brooklyn as a young child. In sepmber, 2015, his deferred action was expiring. He set an appointment to renew his status and was beginning to save his money to pay for the associated fees. Around this time, a small family emergency arose among his brother among his mother and her family in mexico. But a fatal misunderstanding of the protections afforded by daca, he and his family felt he was in the bestings to to travel to mexico and still be allowed to return to the United States. Unfortunately, he and his family did not have a strong understand of how our immigration Current System currently works. As a result, two years after the senate voted to protect dreamers, joel was now stuck in mexico, a country he does not know, with his girlfriend and life partner an american citizen he has no intention to break our immigration laws and would never have been in this position if this body had simply done its job back in 2013. His story illustrates the cost of our dreamers and reminds us we must now take action now to protect dreamers. This is a very in the an unusual thing with a family emergency or a death in the family across the border or something and people dont fully understand that just going for that destroys, under current law, makes it very hard for them to come back. This is from representative cardenas who was with us earlier. Thank you for being with us earlier. This is a letter to him from a fwradge watt student. I am a current graduate student at the university of Southern California school of social work. As part of my curriculum im taking a class on policy and advocacy. Im doing a project on a piece of legislation my focus for this project is on immigration, particularly on the newly introduced bill known as the bridge act which will expand daca for three years. As an undocumented student im worried about my future here in the United States. I came to the United States at age 9, in 2001. I graduated with a b. A. , bachelor of arts in sociology and minor in Womens Service from cal state northridge in 2015. Thanks to daca, aye been able to achieve my dream of obtaining Higher Education as well as to be able to work here legally. That is so prnt. To get an education to work legally to serve in the military. Having lived and attended Public School all my life before here i dont know any other country i can call home. I have very supportive system during my high school years. I graduated from San Fernando High School with honors. I volunteered. I served in the community, student body and to this day im working for the betterment of my Community Working for los angeles family housing. Now that President Trump is president , im concerned about my future about that of my community. I want others to have the same opportunities i had before. I hope you can allocate some of your time for me to talk to awe about the importance of this bill and why it matters not only o me but the entire country. Thank you. And this is from grace apolitano, thank you, grace. I see albio sires from new jersey, we had many testimonies from people from new jersey. And donnell payne, i read your testimony earlier. Congresswoman, ive been referring to you as the godmother of this. And congressm garamendi was ere. Coming and going. Congresswoman napolitano of california constituents have said this. Diego Garcia Ramirez a 31yearold man from almonte, just had his daca approved at the end they have july and considers the opportunity of daca a blessing from god. Has been able to provide a Stable Living for his family. He was brought to the u. S. At age 3. A real statement of it can work. Cynthia lopez lopez, 26yearold woman from almonte, waiting for her Work Authorization dock youment to renew, fears she would lose her job at wells fargo. Shes a caregiver for her mom who is awaiting a lung transplant. The only income and pays for rent, health care and medical essentials. Imagine having all that challenge. But it is the strength that the commitment to family all these people have, that strengthens america and thats what argues for the family unification in our immigration policy. But thats a subject for another day. For today were talking about the dreamers. Again from Mike Thompson who i acknowledged earlier , he has another testimony, Mike Thompson of california. Kinea was born in mexico. Today she lives in Sonoma Valley, california, and is his constituent. Shes a 2011 alumni of 10,000 degrees, an organization that serves lowincome and first generation students. 10,000 degrees. That means degrees from colleges, not temperature. She graduated from Sonoma State University with a b. A. In applied statistics and a concentration in the actuarial field. Shes currently involved in several different organizations and serves as a board member on the Sonoma ValleyEducation Foundation in the Sonoma Valley unified school district. Shes also involved as a commissioner for Sonoma County regional park. Her current position as enrollment and outreach manager for a nonprofit that allowed her to serve families who need Early Education services through state funded preschools. Shes now in her second year as a board member for latien. Shes a mother to a wonderful 7yearold. She received daca in 2012. It opened doors for her allowing her to provide for her son and give back to the community thats seen her grow. Shes a dreamer. Thank you for dreaming. And thank you for inspiring us o dream as well. Ted lieu, a testimony from ted lieus district who was with us until a few minutes ago. Osefina is an undocumented person from lima, mexico. She my grated to the United States when she was 3 years old. Her family immigrated to the United States when she was 3 years old. She was with them. Althoughhe became aware of her immigration status at an every ily age, her status had never defined her. She transformed uncertainty into demmings. She became hyper aware of the financial constraints faced by immigrant youth. She was able to afford her undergraduate education by working multiple jobs and applying to many scholarships. She would commute 2002 hours every day each way to ucla on a daily basis because she could not afford to dorm. Her main motivation is her mother rlings also an immigrant. Her persistent determination to provide for her family convinced josefina of her ability to surmount the barriers she faces as an undocumented student. Today shes learning her ph. D. At ucla. Her Research Interests include the hea