Immigration
June 10, 2016
Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5325, the Fiscal Year 2017 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. This bill appropriates $1.19 billion for the operations of the House of Representatives, as well as $2.29 billion for other legislative branch agencies and programs affiliated with the House, like the Capitol Police, the Library of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, and the Government Printing Office. The bill also includes report language that seeks to force the Library of Congress to continue using the term “illegal aliens.” This provision is in response to the Library’s March 2016 decision to replace this term with the words “noncitizens” and “unauthorized immigration” after a lengthy review process determined “alien” to be pejorative and recommend it’s use be discontinued. Due to the inclusion of this provision, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) voted against the bill. She released the following statement:
Issues:Immigration
May 25, 2016
Today, the House Judiciary Committee held a markup of H.R. 5203, the “Visa Integrity and Security Act of 2016.” The bill adds new restrictions and burdens on those visa applicants and asylum seekers, including DNA testing at the expense of the applicant and social media background checks. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) introduced an amendment that would create an exemption from the social media background check for applicants fleeing domestic violence. The amendment failed 14-8 along party lines.
Issues:ImmigrationWomen's Rights
May 16, 2016
“Dated and dehumanizing terms such as ‘illegal alien’ and ‘alien’ have taken on a highly negative connotation and perpetuate the denigration of immigrant communities,” Reps. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) wrote in the letter on Monday.
Issues:ImmigrationMy Caucuses
May 12, 2016
Today, Reuters reported the Obama Administration intends to launch a nationwide 30-day “surge” of new immigration deportation raids targeting hundreds of families and young adults through the months of May and June. In January, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) condemned similar raids that resulted in the deportation of 121 individuals, mainly women and children from Central America.
Issues:Immigration
April 13, 2016
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said 11 percent, about 1 million, of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. are not here legally and about 400,000 would benefit from the president's executive action. "This decision will affect millions of aspiring Americans who have already put down deep roots in our communities and contributed to our economy," said Chu, the daughter of Chinese immigrants.
Issues:ImmigrationMy Caucuses
April 7, 2016
At the announcement of the campaign, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) cited that among benefits of becoming citizens include that many educational scholarships are available only to citizens, and that permanent residents only receive half of the social security benefits received by citizens. "There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by becoming a US citizen.
Issues:ImmigrationMy Caucuses
April 4, 2016
Joining a pair of his House colleagues, U.S. Rep. Mike Honda (D-Silicon Valley, Calif.), Immigration Task Force Chair and Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Caucus Chair Rep.
Issues:ImmigrationMy Caucuses
March 18, 2016
The bill, originally introduced in 2013, classifies the spouse and minor children of green card holders as immediate relatives and separately, increases visa allocations for siblings, and ensures that same-sex, interfaith and other couples unable to wed in their home countries are treated the same as opposite-sex couples.
Issues:Immigration
March 16, 2016
Today, President Obama announced Merrick Garland as his nominee to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Judge Garland, 63, has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for 19 years.
Rep. Chu Defends Immigration Priorities at House Judiciary Task Force Hearing on Executive Authority
March 15, 2016
Today, the House Judiciary Committee’s Task Force On Executive Overreach held their first hearing on the Administration’s executive authority regarding actions on immigration and healthcare. The Task Force was established in January to examine the proper scope of executive power and its relationship to legislative authority.
Issues:Immigration