Immigration

Summary of Position

Since its founding, the United States has stood as a beacon of freedom and a land of opportunity. The ancestors of every American citizen, barring those of Native American descent, came to this country in search of a better life for themselves and their families. Since then, immigrants have remained a vital part of our communities and strengthened our economy in California and across the nation. While Congressman DeSaulnier agrees that reforms to our immigration system are needed, he does not accept the scapegoating, fearmongering, and xenophobia that has characterized the Trump Administration and precluded meaningful progress on the issue. Congressman DeSaulnier believes that the greatest nation in the history of humankind is capable of ensuring the well-being of its own citizens while simultaneously extending its arms to asylum-seekers, refugees, and immigrants seeking a better life.

 

By the Numbers

  • Immigrants added an estimated $2 trillion to the U.S. GDP in 2016, and between $4.6 and $8 billion in California.
  • 96% of the more than 1.5 million Dreamers in the U.S. are either working or in school.
  • In 2017, 43% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants and their children.
  • 20 million adult U.S.-born children of immigrants have higher incomes than their parents.
  • Immigration led to a 4% real wage increase for the average native worker between 1990 and 2004.

Things to Know

  • Sponsor of the Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) and supports finding a permanent solution for Dreamers
     
  • Visited the Southern border to see firsthand the impact of the Trump Administration’s family separation policy
     
  • Called for investigation into claims of abuse against immigration detainees at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond and across the country 

Working for You

Led Effort to #SaveIsabel
Isabel Bueso came to the United States with her family legally from Guatemala to receive treatment for a rare genetic condition. Her participation in medical trials helped identify an effective, life-saving treatment, which the drug manufacturer says Isabel cannot receive in her home country of Guatemala. In 2019, the Trump Administration arbitrarily canceled deferred action, creating fear and anxiety for Isabel and others in similar situations that they would be deported. Congressman DeSaulnier led the effort to get the Administration to reinstate deferred action has actively worked to protect them from similar action by the Administration, including by introducing a private bill to provide Isabel and her family permanent legal status (H.R. 4225), which passed the House of Representatives on December 8, 2020 and now awaits consideration by the Senate.
 
Relief for Dreamers
Dreamers and their families voluntarily registered themselves with the promise that if they followed the rules laid out, they would be safe. President Trump unilaterally changed the terms of that agreement and put hundreds of thousands of Dreamers at risk of deportation. To help restore their faith in the United States, Congressman DeSaulnier is proud to sponsor several bills that support Dreamers, including the Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6), the BRIDGE Act (H.R. 496), and the American Hope Act (H.R. 3591), which would each provide a permanent solution for Dreamers and their families.  

Supporting Asylum Seekers
After the Trump Administration implemented its family separation policy, Congressman DeSaulnier made several trips to the Southern border to see firsthand how asylum seekers were being treated. With that firsthand knowledge, he has sponsored dozens of bills to reunite families who were separated and provide permanent protection for people seeking a better life in the United States.
 

For a downloadable copy of Mark's immigration work, click the image below: