Democrat Salud Carbajal, Santa Barbara’s representative in Congress, endorsed two pieces of immigration reform legislation Thursday. Carbajal endorsed the bills as co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition Task Force, a group of 94 Democrats who are committed to pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies.
Carbajal’s coalition endorsed the Dream and Promise Act, which will provide a path to citizenship for DACA recipients, and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which will reform the immigration system by providing for earned legal status for existing farmworkers, modernizing the H-2A agricultural guest worker program, and creating a “first-of-its-kind, merit-based visa program specifically designed for the nation’s agricultural sector.”
“As someone who immigrated to this country as a young boy, this issue is very personal for me,” Carbajal said. “Dreamers are here to stay, and they deserve the same shot at the American Dream that I had.”