Issue Position: Immigration

Issue Position

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

I stand by those immortal words -- inscribed on one of the most enduring symbols of America. Our immigration policies must be crafted with compassion, commonsense, and a sense of reality -- three things that are often missing in policies adopted by the current administration.

I have long-championed comprehensive immigration reform and have used my position as the highest-ranking Hispanic in Congress to give voice to the urgent need to address our broken immigration laws. Our immigration system must be fair and just, encourage legal immigration, and welcoming toward those of all backgrounds, religions, and races.

We cannot allow cruelty -- whether in the guise of religious bans or bigotry -- to have any say in our country's policies on immigration.

We've watched in horror as parents are separated from their children, kids are left without care or comfort, and dozens have died from sickness, neglect, or abuse in detention camps and facilities. This is an abomination. To combat the Trump administration's policies, I have acted to safeguard the legal rights of refugees and migrants to seek asylum and ensure those seeking their version of the American Dream are treated with dignity and respect.

I was proud to support the American Dream and Promise Act to provide security and a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers -- the young individuals who are American in every way but on paper. We should advance policies that welcome DREAMers, TPS recipients, migrants, and refugees because we know that our country is made better because of its diversity.

My Record on Immigration:

Voted for the Humanitarian Standards Act to force the Trump administration to fund basic humanitarian standards of care for refugees and migrants, including regular and quality health care, access to legal counsel, adequate living conditions, regular showers, hygiene products, and nutritious meals.
Introduced legislation, along with Sen. Cory Booker, that would remove non-violent marijuana convictions as grounds for deportation for immigrants living in the United States.
I proudly voted to pass the American Dream and Promise Act, which protects DREAMers and Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure recipients.
To address President Trump's immoral policies toward migrants and refugees, I called for a full Congressional investigation into the deaths of the children in federal custody at the border, demanded an immediate end to policies that separate families, voted against funding for President Trump's border wall, and voted to support legislation demanding individuals in CBP, ICE, and U.S. government care receive medical, legal, and humanitarian care.

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