Immigration

Pacific Northwest U.S. Representatives Urge State Department to Avoid Delays to H-2A Visas for Agricultural Workers

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Pacific Northwest Members of Congress urged the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security to take proactive measures to prevent the heavy losses to agriculture businesses caused in 2014 and 2015 due to technical problems with the H-2A visa system.  In their letter to Secretary John Kerry of the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland…

DelBene: Unaccompanied Children Deserve Due Process

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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today joined colleagues in introducing the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act. The legislation would provide legal counsel to unaccompanied minors and people with disabilities during deportation proceedings. “Clearly, there is a humanitarian crisis at our southern border that needs to be addressed, but the current state of our broken immigration…

Congressional Immigration Leaders and Children Call for Ending Family Detention as A Wish for the Holidays

| Posted in Press Releases

This afternoon, the Congressional Women’s Working Group on Immigration Reform and We Belong Together were joined by children at a Capitol Hill press conference to call for an end to America’s family detention system.  Nine members of Congress spoke out about the need to end family detention, including Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40),…

DelBene Signs Brief Urging Review of Texas v. United States

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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today joined colleagues in signing an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to review the Fifth Circuit Court’s decision on Texas v. United States. “Everyone agrees that our immigration system is broken, but the solution will not be found through litigation. The Fifth Circuit’s decision wrongly hurts…

WA Leaders: Reject Fear & Panic Surrounding Refugee Resettlement

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SEATTLE — Elected officials and community leaders from across Seattle and Washington State called for on citizens to reject fear and panic following weeks of harmful and discriminatory rhetoric aimed at refugees seeking resettlement in the United States. Citing Washington State’s long history of opening its doors and providing equal opportunity to those seeking a safe haven…

DelBene Statement on Pope Francis Joint Meeting of Congress

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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today released the following statement after the address of the Bishop of Rome and Sovereign of the Vatican City, Pope Francis. “I agree that Congress must take action on many of the issues Pope Francis addressed today – immigration reform, climate change and the need to help those who are struggling. Communities of faith have been…

DelBene Hears From First District Immigrants

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MOUNT VERNON – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today heard from some of Washington’s First District immigrants about the need for immigration reform. “For too long, Congress has ignored taking meaningful action to address our broken immigration system. As a result, we have a deeply flawed system that is not working for our communities, businesses, immigrants or…

DelBene: Family Detention is Unacceptable

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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and 135 House Democrats wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson urging an end to family detention. “We are troubled by the Department of Homeland Security’s continued detention of mothers and children in secure, jail-like facilities,” the letter stated. “The only solution to this problem is…

DelBene: Allowing Work Permits for H-1B Spouses is the Right Thing to Do

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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today praised a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule that will allow work permits for spouses of immigrants inside the United States holding H-1B visas. “Spouses of high-skilled workers are often just as skilled and educated as their husbands or wives,” DelBene said. “The previous ban disproportionately harmed women who simply…