President Joe Biden has called for an eight-year pathway to citizenship for the nearly 11 million immigrants living in the United States without legal status, a shorter process to legal status for agriculture workers and recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and an enforcement plan that includes deploying technology to patrol the border.
While they are in the early stages of putting together their legislative strategy on the immigration plan, seven congresswomen will likely become the face of the bill in the House, as they continue to work closely with the White House to pass the first comprehensive immigration reform legislation in more than 30 years.
Clarke helped co-lead the 2019 Dream and Promise Act to get it passed in the House. Clarke, a daughter of Jamaican immigrants, was also chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Immigration Task Force.
D-N.Y.
Bass is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and has led efforts to work with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus on immigration reform. She has also focused on elevating discussions on the African migrant experiences.
D-Calif.
Chu is chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. She has written legislation like the No Ban Act. Aspects of that legislation were included in Biden's immigration reform proposal.
D-Calif.
Velázquez is the former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to serve in Congress, also helped co-author the Promise Act that passed in 2019.
D-N.Y.
Lofgren was the chairwoman of the House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship in the last Congress, and will likely be the incoming chairwoman of that subcommittee. She has worked extensively on immigration reform and was previously practiced immigration law.
D-Calif.
Roybal-Allard was the original co-author of the Dream Act in the House, which provides a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. She also helped pass the latest version of that legislation, which offers a pathway to citizenship for temporary protected status or deferred enforcement departure holders.
D-Calif.
Sanchez is chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ Immigration Task Force and has worked on legislation regarding immigration and supported legislation like the Dream and Promise Act, which provides a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.
D-Calif.