Jim Himes represents Connecticut’s 4th District in the United States House of Representatives where he is serving his seventh term. He serves as the Chair of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth and the National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee.
Jim grew up as the child of a single working mom in a small town. As a member of Congress, Jim works hard to provide all American children the same opportunities he had to succeed: access to a first-rate public school, affordable and effective health care, a decent and safe home, and a supportive community.
Our American immigration policies should reflect our values: to secure our borders, treat immigrants and refugees humanely, and bring people out of the shadow economy.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
I have long supported and advocated for bipartisan comprehensive immigration proposals that fix our nation’s broken immigration system.
In 2013, I co-sponsored the House version of the bipartisan immigration reform compromise that passed the Senate by a vote of 68-32. The bill would’ve addressed asylum issues, improved the immigration court system, overhauled legal immigration, approved additional funding for border security, required nationwide use of a workplace verification technology system, helped implement an entry-exit tracking system to catch individuals who overstay their visas, and established a tough but fair pathway to citizenship for the millions of aspiring Americans who are living and working in the shadows of our society. Unfortunately, the Republican-controlled House failed to take up the measure, and reform efforts have since languished.
I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strike an agreement on immigration reform.
Protecting Dreamers
Thousands of Dreamers – a class of unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as children – have started businesses, obtained college degrees, paid taxes, served in the military, and established deep roots in Connecticut. Instead of casting these people aside, we should try to craft policies that give them a realistic chance of fulfilling their American dream. The American Dream and Promise Act, which I’ve co-sponsored and voted for in several congressional sessions, would create a pathway for Dreamers to receive citizenship.