Like many Maryland families, my family immigrated to the United States and fell in love with this country. Our country is one of immigrants, and immigration has enriched our community, our state, and our country in countless ways. My story, however, is different from the stories of many immigrants who I have met and organized with, who come here under far more challenging circumstances and face great adversity. Cruel anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies pose real dangers to immigrant families in Maryland. We can fix our immigration system, protect our border, and promote fairness in immigration while still treating all immigrants with dignity and respect. My top immigration priority in Congress will be standing up for DACA recipients, and finally securing a pathway to full citizenship for DREAMers.
In Congress, I will:
COSPONSOR the American Dream and Promise Act, providing certain undocumented immigrants with a path to receive permanent resident status
PROTECT the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program
SUPPORT the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, protecting the rights of farmworkers and create pathways to citizenship
COSPONSOR the Refugee Protection Act, eliminating the statutory time limit for applying for asylum (currently one year after arriving in the United States), establishing stateless protected status for individuals who are not considered a national by any country under that country’s law, and requiring the goal for refugee admissions for any given fiscal year to be no fewer than 125,000
SUPPORT the POWER Act, allowing immigrant workers to obtain a U visa — a type of visa granted to victims of certain crimes who can assist law enforcement with the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity — while a labor complaint is under investigation
SUPPORT the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2023, protecting workers from exploitation and retaliation by strengthening wage protections for farm workers, increasing penalties for violations of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act, and clarifying that workers, regardless of immigration status, are covered by labor and employment laws
SUPPORT the bipartisan Dignity Act, enhancing border infrastructure and equipment, and investing in border communities and addressing border security