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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, On December 16, 2014, Sarah R. Saldaña of Dallas won |
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| 6 | 7 | | confirmation from the U.S. Senate as assistant secretary in charge |
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| 7 | 8 | | of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the Department of |
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| 8 | 9 | | Homeland Security, and this impressive milestone in her career is a |
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| 9 | 10 | | fitting occasion to commend her for her many achievements; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, A native of Corpus Christi, Ms. Saldaña earned her |
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| 11 | 12 | | bachelor's degree summa cum laude from Texas A&I University; after |
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| 12 | 13 | | working as an eighth-grade language arts teacher in Dallas schools, |
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| 13 | 14 | | she went on to work for the U.S. Department of Labor and the |
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| 14 | 15 | | Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as for the |
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| 15 | 16 | | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, before earning her law |
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| 16 | 17 | | degree from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law in |
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| 17 | 18 | | 1984; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Ms. Saldaña began her legal career as a law clerk to |
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| 19 | 20 | | the Honorable Barefoot Sanders of the U.S. District Court, Northern |
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| 20 | 21 | | District of Texas, then moved into private practice at Haynes & |
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| 21 | 22 | | Boone LLP and Baker Botts LLP; during those years, she also taught |
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| 22 | 23 | | legal writing and research at the Dedman School of Law; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, In 2004, Ms. Saldaña entered public service as an |
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| 24 | 25 | | assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, |
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| 25 | 26 | | prosecuting cases in bank and mortgage fraud, civil rights, human |
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| 26 | 27 | | trafficking, and public corruption; in 2009, she became deputy |
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| 27 | 28 | | criminal chief of the Northern District, where she managed the |
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| 28 | 29 | | major fraud and public corruption section; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Two years later, this outstanding prosecutor was |
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| 30 | 31 | | nominated by President Barack Obama to be the United States |
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| 31 | 32 | | attorney for the Northern District of Texas, and she started in |
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| 32 | 33 | | September 2011, becoming the first Latina chief federal prosecutor |
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| 33 | 34 | | in Texas; in her new position with the Department of Homeland |
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| 34 | 35 | | Security, she will likewise be the first Hispanic woman to lead ICE; |
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| 35 | 36 | | and |
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| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Ms. Saldaña is a member of the William "Mac" Taylor |
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| 37 | 38 | | American Inn of Court, the Dallas and Texas Bar Foundations, and the |
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| 38 | 39 | | Dallas Bar Association; her extensive community service includes |
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| 39 | 40 | | membership on the board of the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art |
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| 40 | 41 | | and the City of Dallas Zoning Board of Adjustment, and her many |
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| 41 | 42 | | awards include recognition as the Latina Attorney of the Year by the |
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| 42 | 43 | | Hispanic National Bar Association in 2011; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Sarah Saldaña's intelligence, expertise, and |
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| 44 | 45 | | commitment to the law have greatly benefited the citizens of Texas |
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| 45 | 46 | | and earned her the deep and lasting respect of her peers, and she |
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| 46 | 47 | | may indeed reflect with pride on all that she has accomplished as |
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| 47 | 48 | | she takes on the challenges and opportunities of her important new |
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| 48 | 49 | | position; now, therefore, be it |
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| 49 | 50 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 50 | 51 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Sarah R. Saldaña on her |
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| 51 | 52 | | confirmation as assistant secretary in charge of Immigration and |
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| 52 | 53 | | Customs Enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security and |
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| 53 | 54 | | extend to her sincere best wishes for success in her new position; |
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| 54 | 55 | | and, be it further |
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| 55 | 56 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 56 | 57 | | prepared for Ms. Saldaña as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 57 | 58 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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