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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Know Your Immigration Rights

If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.

Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.

Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.

Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.

The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.

Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS  – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

April 29, 2026 | Press Releases

Watch Representative Steube’s Remarks Here
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) announced that the House of Representatives has passed the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act (H.R 5366). Rep. Steube’s legislation extends current law by delivering critical tax relief to Americans impacted by federally declared natural disasters.
Under this legislation, victims can deduct qualified casualty losses without having to itemize deductions for federally declared disasters between July 4, 2025 and December 31, 2026. It also ensures certain disaster relief payments are not treated as taxable income. These provisions ensure disaster victims are not penalized by the tax code as they recover from catastrophic events.
The bill is led in the Senate by Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), with Representatives Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) leading alongside Rep. Steube in the House. The legislation builds on the work of the late Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), who spent years advocating for disaster victims. 
“Floridians are far too familiar with the devastation and costly aftermath that natural disasters bring to their homes and communities,” said Rep. Steube. “They should not be forced to face additional hardship and uncertainty by navigating a confusing and burdensome tax code after surviving such events. This bill ensures that disaster victims across the country can focus on rebuilding their lives while receiving the relief they deserve. Congressman LaMalfa spent years leading on this issue, and naming this legislation in his honor is a meaningful way to carry that important work forward.”
“Floridians are resilient in the face of natural disasters, and we always overcome them. While neighbors help neighbors and communities rebuild, we should be doing everything we can to make it easier on disaster victims in Florida and around the country to put their lives back together. We certainly should not saddle them with more uncertainty about their taxes. I am proud to support this bill with Rep. Steube to provide Americans critical clarity in the disaster relief process and honor the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s extensive work on this issue. Let’s finish the job and pass this bill,” SenatorRick Scott said. 
“In 2024, Congress acted to provide critical tax relief for Americans hit hard by natural disasters. The goal was clear: provide relief to those who need it most,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08). “The Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act appropriately extends existing provisions to ensure Americans recovering from a disaster have fewer tax burdens and more resources to navigate their recovery. While Representative Steube hails from the state of Florida which is no stranger to the worst of natural disasters – including hurricanes that have devastated communities there – his strong leadership on this issue is benefiting citizens in communities all across the country.”
“When wildfire survivors were stuck with an immoral tax bill on their recovery assistance, Chairman Lamalfa built a coalition and fought for them. Tonight, we finished what he started, honoring his legacy and the countless people this tragedy effected,” said Congressional Western Caucus Chair Celeste Maloy.
“The last thing families and communities recovering from natural disasters should have to worry about is an additional tax burden when they’re trying to get back on their feet,” said Rep. Panetta. “Our bipartisan bill would ensure that wildfire relief payments and hurricane losses continue to qualify for fair tax treatment. The House passage of this bill is a critical step toward providing disaster-impacted Americans the certainty, time, and tools they need to rebuild and move forward.”
“Californians are all too familiar with the devastation caused by wildfires. In the wake of losing their homes and livelihoods, it is wrong to tax survivors on settlement money that is meant to help them rebuild their lives. Survivors can’t afford to wait around for retroactive relief,” said Rep. Thompson. “Our late colleague Doug LaMalfa knew this well. I was proud to work with him to pass tax relief for fire victims in our communities in 2024, and I am proud we passed this bill now to honor his work and to extend our tax relief so more victims can be compensated.” 
Background: Rep. Steube led the effort to pass the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023, which was signed into law in 2024 after he successfully forced House consideration through a discharge petition. This was one of the few successful discharge petitions in congressional history. That law delivered billions in tax relief to Americans recovering from hurricanes, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and other federally declared disasters.
The Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act builds on that effort by extending these provisions so disaster victims can continue to access relief under the tax code.
The legislation is supported by the National Fire Protection Association, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Florida Citrus Mutual, and the Bipartisan Policy Center Action.
Steube Bipartisan Disaster Tax Relief Bill Advances Out of Ways and Means Committee
Rep. Steube and Sen. Scott Introduce Bill to Extend Federal Disaster Tax Relief
Steube Disaster Tax Relief Legislation Becomes Law

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (MO-02) and Congressman John Rutherford (FL-05), Co-Chair of the House Law Enforcement Caucus, released the following statement after they introduced the Local Law Enforcement Support Act:

“I will always stand with our brave men and women in blue. Our local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and I have been proud to work with them to make sure they have the resources they need to keep Missouri families safe. Each police department faces different challenges, and my bill will ensure they have the tools necessary to support officers, help victims, and put criminals behind bars,” said Congresswoman Ann Wagner (M0-02).  “The Working Families Tax Cut legislation provided a generational investment in law enforcement nationwide, and my Local Law Enforcement Support Act will give state and local police departments greater flexibility to use these funds in the way they know best, including training and recruitment, better protective equipment for officers, expanded availability of forensic technologies, and enhanced services to victims of violent crime.”

“Every local law enforcement department is different and has distinct needs,” said Congressman John H. Rutherford (FL-05). “As a former sheriff and lifelong law enforcement officer, I understand the importance of giving our departments the ability to invest in what best meets the challenges facing their officers every day. That’s why I am proud to join Congresswoman Wagner on the Local Law Enforcement Support Act to expand the possible ways departments could use their funding, including initiatives to recruit and train personnel, acquire protective equipment for officers, and invest in forensic and investigative technologies to help solve crimes. Flexibility gives them the opportunity to invest where they need it most, and in turn, helps keep our officers and communities safe.”

“On behalf of the men and women of the St. Louis County Police Association, I would like to sincerely thank Representative Wagner for introducing the Local Law Enforcement Support Act (LLESA).  Modern policing requires agencies to be nimble in the way they address crime, community relations, and officer recruitment/retention.  Embracing new training, tactics, and benefits to meet the ever-changing environment is paramount to providing the high-level of law enforcement and protection Americans expect and deserve. The LLESA will allow agencies to continue to meet the needs of our officers and the people they serve.  The additional flexibility the LLESA provides will give our agencies the ability to adapt and improve our officer retention programs, officer protection equipment, and new investigative technologies to combat criminal activity. We look forward working with Rep. Wagner to pass the LLESA and thank her for the unwavering efforts to support our police and keep our communities safe.” – Joe Patterson, Executive Director; St. Louis County Police Association

“The Police Chiefs Legislative Coalition, representing our police chiefs and law enforcement leaders across the State of Missouri, fully endorse the Local Law Enforcement Support Act. Our ongoing efforts to protect our communities rely on specialized teams such as our Drug Task Forces that combat illicit narcotics, Cybercrimes Task Forces that apprehend online sexual predators and Human Trafficking Task Forces that apprehend human traffickers. Their efforts remove some of the most violent and dangerous criminals from society. Many of those specialized units need the flexibility of funding toward recruiting and retaining personnel, acquisition of specialized technology, increased access to investigative equipment and aid for services to protect victims. We commend our lawmakers for answering our call for assistance and through the successful passage of the Local Law Enforcement Support Act, we can continue and expand our efforts to safeguard neighborhoods, schools and businesses throughout the State of Missouri.  Please stand with our Police Chiefs and Law Enforcement leaders in supporting this endeavor.” – Executive Board of the Missouri Police Chiefs Legislative Coalition

Supporting Organizations Also Include: Missouri Sheriffs Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, Major Cities Chiefs Association, National Sheriffs Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, National Narcotic Officers Associations Coalition, National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Directors Association. 

Click here to read the one pager.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais:

“Today, the Supreme Court has dealt a devastating new blow to the Voting Rights Act and against the sacred right to vote.

“The consequences will be felt across the country: fewer voices heard, fewer communities represented and a democracy diminished.

“Congress must urgently pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the full strength of the Voting Rights Act before this latest blow becomes fatal.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement on the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision in Louisiana v. Callais that ruled that the Louisiana voting map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander:

“I will always cherish the memory of walking arm in arm with my dear friend and brother Rep. John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on our annual pilgrimages to Selma, Alabama. In 1965, on that same asphalt, Alabama State Troopers beat John nearly to death, fracturing his skull with their batons. John knew they would. He made that march on Bloody Sunday because he believed the right to vote was worth whatever pain they could inflict upon him. Later that same year, the Voting Rights Act became law. In 2013, the Supreme Court eroded its protections by striking down its preclearance requirement. Now, the justices have further weakened it with today’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais.

“By allowing Louisiana to redraw its congressional map in a way that dilutes the voting power of minority communities, the six Republican-appointed justices are participating in a brazen ploy to help Republicans keep their House Majority; it is an affront to everything for which John and so many others in the Selma march bled.

“I worked with John to promote voting rights because I agreed with him that the vote ‘is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.’ While the justices limited their ruling to Louisiana in this case, they have opened the door to prying that powerful tool from the hands of millions of people in the future.  There is no doubt that other Republican-led states will now test the Court’s new standard.

“Each time the Voting Rights Act is weakened, Americans lose a bit more faith in their democracy. I will continue to do everything I can to stand up for Americans’ equal right to vote. John would call on us all to do the same.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) reviewed Wednesday’s 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakening a provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act and made the following statement:

“We’ve been expecting this decision.  I’m disappointed that the Court has diluted the Voting Rights Act which guaranteed minority voters the right to elect the representative of their choosing. It has served us well. This ruling effectively undoes the work of Martin Luther King and John Lewis. Changes to the Voting Rights Act should be made by Congress.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Today, High Court Hears Oral Arguments in Trump Administration’s Effort to End TPS for Haiti, Venezuela, Syria, and Other Nations in Crisis

House Recently Passed Pressley Petition to Extend Haiti TPS

Press Conference (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) held a press conference alongside colleagues and a coalition of seniors, care workers, advocates, and allies to demand the Supreme Court defend Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Today, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a case involving the Trump Administration’s efforts to end TPS for Haiti, Venezuela, Syria, and other nations grappling with layered crises.

Earlier this month, the House adopted a discharge petition led by Congresswoman Pressley to extend TPS for Haiti for three years.

“TPS holders serve as a backbone for families and our economy—caring for our elders and loved ones through illness, strengthening our communities, and making innumerable contributions daily,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement. “That’s why we we’re using every tool available to defend Temporary Protected Status and affirm the dignity, humanity, and due process of our immigrant neighbors from Haiti, Venezuela, Syria, and other nations in crisis. Our message to the Supreme Court today is simple: do your job, uphold the law, save lives, and protect our communities. I’m grateful to my colleagues and our advocates for their ongoing partnership.”

Footage from the press conference is available here and a transcript of her remarks is available below.

Transcript: Rep. Ayanna Pressley Demands Supreme Court Defend Temporary Protected Status
House of Representatives
April 28, 2026

I’m grateful to be joined by incredible leaders and advocates in our fight to protect immigrant families. 

Thank you Senator Blunt Rochester, thank you Senator Markey, thank you Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, and to our movement siblings at Care for 

Seniors and Care for America for your partnership on this urgent priority. 

The fact that so many of you have made the trip to Washington, DC to join us in this fight is a testament to the strength of our movement.

I know that there are many at work who seek to, with each passing day, to advance a country where people are indifferent to the suffering of its neighbors, and each time we move in ways that are deeply empathetic and practice radical love and solidarity, we resist that force. So I thank you all for caring. 

We are here today in defense of our neighbors with Temporary Protected Status, who are deeply rooted in our communities and essential to our economy. In my opinion, they are already home. 

At this moment, over 1 million people are at risk of being removed from their homes, separated from their families, having their lives uprooted because of Trump’s cruel and unlawful attempt to terminate their Temporary Protected Status. 

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on this critical case. We are demanding the Supreme Court uphold the law, save lives and protect our communities.

To send vulnerable families to countries like Haiti, Venezuela, and Syria that are enduring horrific humanitarian crises is unconscionable, shameful, unlawful, and preventable. 

I want to be clear, this is not an appeal for charity or even benevolence. This is simply the right thing to do, the smart thing to do, the responsible thing to do, but not from a place of generosity, but instead from a place of reciprocity. 

A strong, vibrant nation is what we owe to the TPS holders who make innumerable contributions to our communities daily. These are folks who have fled violence, who are patriots, who love this country, who take pride in their work, who have families and businesses, who have strengthened our communities. 

Many TPS supporters serve as backbones for families in need and a guide through our hardest of times. These are the people caring for parents and grandparents in the twilight of their lives, or supporting your loved ones through an illness. 

Let me be clear, an attack on TPS holders is an attack on all of us, and we won’t back down. We will be exhaustive in leveraging every tool available to safeguard TPS. 

Earlier this month, we built a broad, diverse, bipartisan coalition to force a vote in the House and pass legislation to extend TPS for Haiti for three years, that work continues. 

Today, we are pressing the Supreme Court to uphold the law. 

My colleagues and I filed an amicus brief urging the court to preserve TPS, to uphold the existing law for this necessary program. For months, we have uplifted the stories of the dedicated TPS holders who stand to be harmed and our communities who would suffer without them. 

Terminating TPS is not only bad policy that would have catastrophic consequences for our communities, our seniors and our economy. In this case, it is also unlawful. 

As I close, I’ll just share my own story. It’s not a unique one. This is deeply personal. It is not political. 

In the final weeks of my mother’s life and her CLL cancer battle, it was Haitian nurses, Haitian nurses who prayed over my mother, who sang songs to my mother, who oiled her scalp lovingly and braided her hair. 

Everyone who calls this country home benefits from TPS and stands to be harmed by this termination. 

So together, we will continue to defend our TPS holders and their families, to center their humanity and dignity and to fight for what is just. 

Thank you again to everyone who traveled to Washington to make the case directly to Congress and to the Supreme Court, our freedoms and our destinies are truly tied and it’s going to take every last one of us to get this done.

—

Immigrants make up roughly 28% of the U.S. direct care workforce and as many as one in three home care workers. Any loss of work authorization, advocates say, would disrupt continuity of care, intensify staffing shortages, and put the health, safety, and stability of millions of American families, many of whom also consider their caretakers family.

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed Congresswoman Pressley’s bipartisan discharge petition by a vote of 220-207 to extend Haiti TPS for three years. Congresswoman Pressley won a key procedural vote on the discharge petition and managed debate on the House floor prior to the successful final passage vote. Last month, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support—only the 15^th discharge petition to do so in the last 40 years.

Congresswoman Pressley serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country. She has stood in vigorous defense for Haitian communities and all immigrant neighbors amid Trump and ICE’s attacks against immigrant communities.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress pushing back against Trump’s threats to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.

This week, Rep. Pressley, alongside Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

On March 28, 2026, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.

In March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian faith leaders and advocates to urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts’ rulings that deemed Trump’s push to terminate Haiti TPS unlawful.

In February 2026, Rep. Pressley applauded a federal judge’s ruling to temporarily block Trump’s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district.

In January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley, alongside Senator Markey, held a field hearing on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. She documented this testimony in the legislative record. Footage from the hearing is available here and photos here.

In January 2026, Rep. Pressley also organized a press conference in D.C. in January to sound the alarm on the harm of terminating TPS for Haiti on seniors and the U.S. care economy.

• On June 28, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s abominable termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti effective September 2nd, 2025.
• On June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump’s executive order that bans citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, from traveling to the United States, and places partial restrictions on citizens of seven more nations.
• On March 18, 2025,  Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led 62 of their colleagues in the House and 23 of their colleagues in the Senate in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding the Trump Administration redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, which the administration recently canceled on questionable legal authority.
• On February 20, 2025, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-12), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
• On April 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley, alongside Co-Chairs Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti.
• On April 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs led a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leadership emphasizing support for the early renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts, commonly known as HOPE/HELP.
• On April 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian-led activists, organizations, and a directly impacted person in Haiti for a press call urging federal action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti.
• On March 27, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her colleagues on the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to expedite visa processing for Haitians, particularly  for relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
• On March 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Cherfilus McCormick and Yvette Clarke issued a statement on the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
• On March 6, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the recent jailbreak and State of Emergency in Haiti.
• On December 8, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke urged the U.S. Department of State to withdraw U.S. support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition.
• On December 6, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
• On December 1, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Mondaire Jones led 14 of their colleagues on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
• On August 17, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on President Biden to appoint a new Special Envoy to Haiti, a position that has remained unfilled since September 2021.
• On May 31, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, chair of Haitian Americans United, published an op-ed in the Bay State Banner in which they called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler of Haiti, Ariel Henry, and instead support an inclusive, civil society-led process to restore stability and democracy on the island. 
• On May 26, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led a letter to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Power urging her to act to ensure food security in Haiti.
• In February 2022, Reps. Pressley, Judy Chu (CA-27), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to CDC Director Walensky demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. Days later, Rep. Pressley once again called on the Biden Administration to reverse the Title 42 Order and other anti-Black immigration policies.
• On March 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Mondaire Jones called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky to fully end Title 42, cease deportations of people to Haiti and affirm their legal and fundamental human right to seek asylum.
• On February 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 100 House and Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies – such as Title 42, originally introduced under the Trump Administration – that continue to disproportionately harm Black migrants.
• On February 14, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more.
• In April 2022, she joined her colleagues at a press conference reaffirming her support for President Biden’s decision to end Title 42. Full video of her remarks at the press conference is available here. Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden Administration’s end of Title 42 in a statement in April 2022.
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Velázquez led 54 of their colleagues on a letter calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian parole protections for those seeking asylum. The lawmakers’ letter followed the Administration’s resumption of deportation flights to Haiti as thousands of Haitian migrants continue to await an opportunity to make an asylum claim at the border. 
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding answers regarding the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback and pushing to Biden Administration to end the ongoing use and weaponization of Title 42.
• On July 7, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Andy Levin (MI-09), Val Demings (FL-10) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
• On November 21, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation on a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) calling on them to coordinate with the government agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist newly arrived families from Haiti. 
• On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley, and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings (FL-10), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Andy Levin (MI-09) issued a statement following the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries in Haiti.
• On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the civil rights complaint filed by Haitian families demanding a federal investigation into the heinous actions perpetrated by federal officials at the border.
• On October 22, 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), sent a letter to Troy A. Miller, the Acting Administrator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demanding a briefing and answers regarding press reports of the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback. 
• On September 17, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07) led 52 of their colleagues calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and take urgent action to address the concerns of the Haitian Diaspora after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti.
• On August 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) released a statement regarding the recent earthquake in Haiti.
• On July 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to take a series of steps to support the Haitian diaspora amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti.
• In July 2021, the Reps. Pressley, Clarke, Demings and Levin issued a statement condemning the assassination of President Moïse and calling for swift and decisive action to bring political stability and peace to Haiti and the Haitian people.
• In May 2021, on Haitian Flag Day, Reps. Pressley, Levin, Clarke and Demings announced the formation of the House Haiti Caucus, a Congressional caucus dedicated to pursuing a just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bicameral bill that would increase access to broadband service for low-income urban and rural Americans. The Promoting Access to Broadband Act would help states increase awareness and enrollment in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Lifeline program, which provides a monthly subsidy to help low-income households pay for their broadband and telephone service. Specifically, the legislation would establish a competitive grant program through the FCC that would allow states to inform eligible recipients of the Lifeline program.

“Access to affordable and reliable internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Americans rely on broadband connection to complete school assignments, see their medical professionals, and talk to their loved ones, but for many families, the cost of internet access is just too high,” Durbin said. “The Promoting Access to Broadband Act would increase awareness and enrollment in the FCC’s Lifeline program, giving more Americans access to the internet.”

“Families are facing higher costs for gas, groceries, rent, and basic necessities. The Lifeline program can alleviate some of the burden and cover internet costs for families,” said Kelly. “I’m proud to introduce this bill with Senator Durbin to help families cut through the red tape and increase enrollment in the Lifeline program.  My district covers urban, suburban, and rural areas, and they all deserve to have access to the internet, which is a necessity in this day and age.”

“The Lifeline program was designed to help low-income people get and remain connected to communications services, yet it remains extremely underutilized, not because eligible households lack interest, but because they are unaware the program exists or face burdens navigating the enrollment process on their own. The Promoting Access to Broadband Act seeks to make a strategic investment in the human infrastructure needed to ensure the nation’s most vulnerable communities are aware of and know how to enroll in the Lifeline program at a time when affordability remains the number one barrier keeping people on the wrong side of the digital divide,” said Alisa Valentine, Broadband Policy Director at Public Knowledge.

Along with Durbin, the Promoting Access to Broadband Act is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

In 2021, the federal government took bold, bipartisan action to invest in our nation’s broadband infrastructure through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Yet, with the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program and delays in investment, there is still much progress to be made in connecting families to broadband.  According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as many as 25 million Americans lack access to broadband. A 2023 survey from Consumer Reports found that 27 percent of broadband users found it difficult to afford their monthly internet costs. 

Further, participation in the Lifeline program remains extremely low nationwide. The Universal Service Administrative Company estimates the number of eligible households participating in Lifeline nationwide is just 22 percent, and only 14 percent in Illinois.

The Promoting Access to Broadband Act would:

• Award grants to at least 25 percent of states;
• Direct the FCC to consider several factors in evaluating applications, including states with a higher number of covered individuals, states with plans with the potential to reach a higher percentage of eligible-but-not-enrolled households, and geographic diversity;
• Allow states to use the funds to inform eligible individuals that are not enrolled, provide information on how to apply for Lifeline, and partner with non-profit and community-based organizations with a proven track record of implementing digital inclusion initiatives to assist individuals applying for Lifeline; and
• Require the FCC to issue a report to Congress within a year of establishing the grant program evaluating the grant’s effectiveness.

To be eligible for these programs, an individual must have an income at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the Lifeline program. Enrollees also are eligible if they qualify for a needs-based program, such as Medicaid or SNAP, or receive Supplemental Security Income, federal public housing assistance, or Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits.

The bill has earned endorsements from National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Public Knowledge, Third Way, and ACLU.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

NEW YORK– Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement on the release of Elaina Aghayeva: 

“Throughout today, my office worked closely with Ms. Aghayeva’s loved ones, attorneys, Mayor Mamdani’s team and countless others to collect information and escalate our shared efforts to secure her release. We are pleased to share that Ms. Aghayeva is now at home with her closest friends.   

The agents who apprehended Ms. Aghayeva blatantly abused the public trust by using a ruse to execute her detention. Their actions are a clear example of why state and local law enforcement agencies refuse to work with ICE. Community trust and partnership are essential to effective and safe policing, both for residents and officers — federal immigration enforcement has once again violated that trust.  

Naturally, Ms. Aghayeva has been shaken by today’s events. This most recent episode of Trump’s America trauma campaign is merely another snapshot of the consequences that their breathless, illegal targeting has on goodhearted, innocent individuals like Ms. Aghayeva — and our communities at large. These actions by the administration fail to uphold the values of our nation and must stop immediately.”

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov