Where I Stand

On The Issues: Immigration Reform

Immigration Reform

I came to this country from India when I was seven years old, received a quality public education, worked my way through college, made a successful career as an engineer, raised three daughters, and am now giving back to our community as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates.

As an immigrant, I know the value immigration brings to this country. Immigrants embody the American Dream and make invaluable contributions to the fabric of American life. But today, President Trump is attacking immigrant families and using xenophobic rhetoric and policies to divide Americans against each other. This is not a partisan political fight, it’s about basic morality and fundamental decency, and we must fight back. What Donald Trump does not understand is that immigrants are not a nuisance to be dealt with, they are an asset to our nation.

As a State Legislator, I co-sponsored and fought for the Maryland Dream Act, so that bright young adults, who want to go to college, but through no fault of their own are now undocumented residents, have the ability to attend our state schools.

In Congress, I will work on comprehensive fixes to our broken immigration system. Today there are thousands of highly skilled workers stuck in a legal limbo — sometimes up to 20 years—in our H1 visa programs. A shorter path to Permanent Residency would allow these individuals to fully participate in our economy and become job creators through entrepreneurship.

Furthermore, any comprehensive immigration reform must include a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million law-abiding undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. today and the 2.1 million DREAMers who were brought to this country as children. It’s the American way, it’s good for the economy, and in Congress I’m determined to get it done.