Latino-Jewish Caucus Backs Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Workers
Image by Getty Images
A bipartisan caucus of Jewish and Hispanic members of the U.S. House of Representatives said a path to citizenship for undocumented workers should underpin immigration reform.
The co-chairs of the Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the chairwoman of the House Middle East subcommittee; Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee; and Rep. Xavier Becarra (D-Calif.), this week said that immigration reform should include a “viable and efficient” path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and “smart, effective and humane” border enforcement.
“As longtime partners on these issues, we call for pragmatic common-sense solutions to fix our immigration system in a way that meets our nation’s economic needs, protects those who flee persecution, reflects our shared commitment to security, justice, equal opportunity, family unification, immigrant integration and human dignity,” the statement said.
A comprehensive immigration reform plan has passed the U.S. Senate, but is foundering in the House where hardline Republicans say border enforcement should be its emphasis, as opposed to avenues to citizenship for the undocumented.
The American Jewish Committee praised the caucus’ statement.
“The Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus initiative is critically important, emphasizing that both communities in the U.S. have been actively advocating for long overdue immigration reform,” Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC’s Latino and Latin American Institute, said in a statement.
There are 25 members of the Latino-Jewish caucus, which was founded in 2011.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
