Representatives Norma Torres & Adriano Espaillat Announce Bipartisan New Americans Caucus for the 118th Congress
Washington, D.C. – June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and today, Chair Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and Co-Chair Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) relaunched the Congressional New Americans Caucus for the 118th Congress. The expanded, bipartisan Caucus is comprised of first-generation Members of Congress striving to promote and educate Congress on issues of importance to new Americans.
"I am thrilled to relaunch the New Americans Caucus because new and aspiring Americans need and deserve to have their stories told and voices heard in the halls of Congress," said Congresswoman Torres, the only Member of Congress to be born in Central America. "The 118th Congress is the most ethnically diverse in U.S. history. Although Congress has made progress in supporting newly naturalized citizens, new Americans still face significant barriers to realizing the American Dream. We are a nation built and enriched by our immigrant communities, and members of both parties must come together to further support families throughout the citizenship process and beyond."
In addition to Reps. Torres and Espaillat, the Caucus includes: Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Carlos Gimenez (FL-28), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Victoria Spartz (IN-05), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).
From left to right: Reps. Gimenez, Spartz, Ciscomani, Thanedar, Espaillat, Strickland, Garcia (CA), Torres (CA), Omar, Jayapal, & Lieu
"I'm proud to join Congresswoman Torres as Co-Chair of the New Americans Caucus during the 118th Congress and look forward to continuing our collective efforts to ensure the support and rights of newly naturalized citizens to our nation," said Rep. Espaillat, the first Dominican American and only formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. "We have witnessed the challenges that immigrant families face, and for many, the path to becoming citizens can mean life or death. We have made tremendous progress working in collaboration with the Biden administration and will continue our unified efforts to ensure new Americans and their families are supported through the citizenship process in ways that will afford them equal opportunities in America."
From left to right: Reps. Lieu, Carbajal, Torres (CA), García (IL), Espaillat, & Jayapal
The New Americans Caucus was founded by Congresswoman Torres in 2017. The Caucus includes Members of Congress from Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, India, Somalia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Mexico, South Korea, and Cuba.