CAPAC Chair Rep. Chu Hosts Meetings with Senior White House and Department of Homeland Security Officials

Washington, DC – Yesterday, Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) met with senior White House aides Cecilia Muñoz and Neil Eggleston to discuss pertinent immigration issues affecting the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The meeting occurred one day after the Caucus met with Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss their recommendations regarding executive action for immigration reform. CAPAC leaders released the following statements:

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair:

“Our meetings with the White House and the Department of Homeland Security were candid and productive. While we are disappointed by the President’s decision to delay administrative actions to improve our immigration system, we strongly believe that the Administration will live up to its promise and do as much as it can within the confines of our law to alleviate the pain immigrant families are feeling every day.

“Immigration reform is an issue of great significance to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. In fact, Asians and Pacific Islanders comprise over 40 percent of the 4.2 million individuals caught in our current family immigration visa backlogs and over 80 percent of those in the employer-based visa backlogs. We also account for approximately 11 percent of the undocumented population in the U.S.

“Bold action by the President would have a tremendous impact on the AAPI population, and I am grateful that CAPAC was able to reiterate our immigration priorities with senior administration officials. Given the glaring problems with our immigration system, which continues to separate families and deny opportunities to aspiring Americans, we continue to urge the Administration to move swiftly in taking action before the end of the year.”