Today, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard praised President Obama and the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) for their efforts to keep families together while a family member has their immigration visa processed. Currently, immigrant spouses and children of U.S. citizens going through the visa process can only apply for a waiver to the 3-year and 10-year bars to legal permanent resident status once they have first returned to their home country. “For years, this burdensome rule has ... Read more

Reacting to the Supreme Court’s announcement that it intends to review SB 1070, the controversial Arizona anti-immigration law, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard called on the court to reject this deeply unjust and impractical statute. “I look forward to the Supreme Court’s review of SB1070, the dangerous Arizona law that imperils the civil rights of not just immigrants and Latinos but all Americans,” Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard said. “While we all know our immigration system is in dire need o... Read more

Today, as the House Judiciary Committee met to discuss the Secure Communities initiative, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard again called on the Department of Homeland Security to suspend the deeply flawed program. “No one disputes that our government should target immigrants who commit serious crimes for deportation. However, contrary to its stated goals, Secure Communities continues to sweep up tens of thousands of law-abiding men and women, including U.S. citizens. Only 1 in 4 of those depor... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard commended Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for moving to implement a more rational approach to immigration enforcement. The Secretary announced the formation of a new committee tasked with reviewing the approximately 300,000 cases pending before America’s backlogged immigration courts and setting aside those individuals who do not pose a threat to their communities in order to focus greater resources on serious offenders. “Today’s announcement marks... Read more

At a Southeast Leadership Network reception, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard presents David Figueroa Ortega with a certificate of congressional recognition in honor of his new appointment as the Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles. Mr. Ortega took office on April 25. Held at the La Huasteca Restaurant in Plaza Mexico in Lynwood, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said during her welcoming remarks, “I am very happy to welcome our new Consul General of Mexico, David Figueroa Ortega to Los Angeles... Read more

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) welcomed Hill staffers to a congressional briefing sponsored by the UCLA-USC Latinos & Economic Security Project entitled “Reframing the Generational Divide: Baby Boomers vs. Young Latinos” about the potential economic, social and political impact of our nation’s rapidly growing young Latino population and aging baby boomers. “Just as our nation’s 78 million baby boomers are beginning to retire, our nation’s young Latino population is dramatically expa... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) joined 16 other Members of Congress in praising the first hearing on the DREAM Act convened June 28 by Senator Dick Durbin (IL) before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34), co-author of the DREAM Act, said: “As an original co-author of the House-version of the DREAM Act, I join my colleagues in commending the Senate Judiciary Committee. Yesterday’s... Read more

At a press conference on Capitol Hill, Actor and Activist Eva Longoria joined Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) and other child advocates today in announcing the introduction of "The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment" (CARE, HR 2234), legislation which ensures adequate protections for children working in our nation’s agricultural fields. “Agriculture is the only industry governed by labor laws that allow children as young as 12 to work with virtually no restrictions on the numb... Read more

Actor and Activist Eva Longoria, who is executive producer of a new documentary THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA, will join Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) on Thursday June 16 at 10 am at the House Triangle outside the East Front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. to announce a new push to reform child labor laws for farmworkers. THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA, a new film by Shine Global, U. Roberto Romano and Executive Producer Eva Longoria, examines the lives of child migrant laborers.... Read more

Today local members of Congress called on Governor Jerry Brown to join the governors of New York, Illinois and Massachusetts and suspend California’s participation in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Secure Communities program. At a press conference in Downtown Los Angeles, Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34), Xavier Becerra (CA-31) and Judy Chu (CA-32) were joined by former Los Angeles police chief and current City Councilmember Bernard C. Parks (CD-8) and Councilmember Jan... Read more