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Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month:

            “As the Trump Administration seeks to erase the role of immigrants in the great American story, we must counter such fear mongering with the truth. Without the contributions of waves of immigrants throughout American history, our economy would be far less advanced, and our innovation less cutting edge than it is today. For centuries, we have welcomed immigrants from across the globe to our shores and borders, migrants who often risk everything while clinging to the promise that America is a land of opportunity.

                “Today, the immigrant story lives on in communities across America, where hardworking men and women are opening small businesses, strengthening our Main Streets, creating new jobs, and fueling our economy. Yet, even as immigrants work to start businesses at rates higher than the general population, our system remains broken. Too many are caught in the backlog of securing a visa, while countless others spend each day living in fear of deportation. Especially as we face the ongoing workforce shortage, advancing a more compassionate immigration system is imperative. In the House, we will start by passing The Dream and Promise Act, legislation I co-authored to offer long-awaited protections for our DACA and Temporary Protected Status recipients.       

            “This Immigrant Heritage Month, and as we craft policy solutions to fix our nation’s broken immigration system, let us never forget that for so many and for so long, America has stood as a beacon of hope.”

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