As a minority, I personally understand and identify with the struggle for justice and equality.  I recognize the importance of having a fair, effective and common-sense immigration system in our country.  That is why I am a member of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Immigration Reform Task Force, and am working on this issue with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and my Republican colleagues.  With over 11 million undocumented immigrants in our country, reform will strengthen our country and boost our economy. 

I am an original co-sponsor of the Reuniting Families Act of 2013, which would allocate visas more efficiently and alleviate application waiting times.  More importantly, this bill promotes the reunification of immigrant families that have been separated for far too long.

In order for our economy to prosper, we must allow talented individuals to contribute to the only country they have ever known. As an original cosponsor of the “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2013,” also known as the DREAM Act, I am committed to providing immigration relief to undocumented youth if they serve in the military or pursue a higher education.  This legislation provides a pathway to citizenship to children brought to the United States through no fault of their own.

I believe that same-sex couples should be included in the immigration conversation and that protections should be extended to the LGBT community.  U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents should be able to sponsor their “permanent partners” for residency in the United States.  This is why I support H.R. 519, also known as the “Uniting American Families Act.”

On March 8, 2013, I held an immigration roundtable with Congressman Luis Gutierrez in the district.  I brought together different stakeholders in the community and the overwhelming consensus is that reform is long overdue. 

In October 2013, I became an original co-sponsor to H.R. 15, Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, a bipartisan immigration reform bill that will secure our borders, unite our families, protect our workers, provide an earned pathway to citizenship, and reduce the deficit by nearly $1 trillion.  

It’s been several months since H.R. 15 was introduced into the House of Representatives, months too long for House Republicans to deny America a vote on a bill that will stop the separation of families and communities. That’s why I joined my fellow House Democrats in signing a discharge petition to demand a vote on H.R. 15.

I know the House has the votes to pass immigration reform: 200 Members, including 3 Republicans cosponsored H.R. 15, and another 30 Republicans have come out in favor of reform.

While America waits for House Republicans in Washington to bring immigration reform to the floor for a vote, we cannot forget about the invisible victims of the broken U.S. immigration process.

When immigration is in the news, scam artists see an opportunity. The delay in passing a comprehensive immigration bill has confused the public and allowed scam artists to prey on our immigrant communities. This is a serious national problem that causes suffering for Texas families and weighs on an already overburdened immigration system.  By working with advocacy groups like the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), I crafted legislation that would allow victims of notario fraud to reopen their cases and immigrate lawfully. This legislation is just the first step towards stopping fraudulent immigration services in our nation.

I strongly believe that this is the year for comprehensive immigration reform. Immigration reform is the right thing to do for our economy, our security, and our future.