Tim grew up working in his father’s ironworking shop in Kansas City. His parents taught him the value of hard work and showed him how small businesses and technical skills strengthen this country every day. After graduating from the University of Missouri, Tim started his public service career by running a technical school founded by Jesuit missionaries in Honduras. He trained teenagers to become carpenters and welders, equipping them with skills to lift up themselves and their communities. As Tim says, his work in Honduras was “a North Star” that led to his commitment to advance job opportunities for everyone. His time there reinforced three core values that are still a central part of his life today: “Fè, familia, y trabajo” – “Faith, family, and work.”
Tim is proud that the United States is a nation of immigrants. Since the nation’s founding, those who have come to this country from around the world have been integral to our society. Virginia is home to over one million immigrants, making up 13% of the Commonwealth’s population. Immigrants also constitute 17% of Virginia’s workforce. Their skills and hard work are critical in ensuring that the United States and our Commonwealth continue to grow and prosper.
Tim knows that for far too long, our outdated and broken immigration system has kept millions of people who contribute to the United States living in the shadows of our society.
In 2013, Tim supported the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill, bipartisan legislation that would have created a better legal immigration system to meet America’s labor and family needs, enhance border security, and create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Tim delivered the Senate’s first ever floor speech in Spanish making the case for this comprehensive bill.
Tim has also been a leading voice in Congress on the importance of protecting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients who are living in the U.S. after being displaced by dangerous conditions in their home countries. Over 22,000 TPS holders live in Virginia as of March 2021. Tim has cosponsored legislation to give TPS recipients the opportunity to become permanent residents of the United States.
Tim is committed to ensuring that Dreamers can keep contributing to the nation that they grew up in and love. He has called on the Biden Administration to take meaningful action to address the processing delays and backlog for DACA program applicants. Tim is also a strong supporter of the Dream Act, which would protect Dreamers from deportation and create a path to citizenship.