California Republican whose congressional district has large Latino population pushes for legislative fix to DACA
Sept. 5, 2017, 10:39 a.m. Reporting from Washington
California Republican whose congressional district has large Latino population pushes for legislative fix to DACA
Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) said Tuesday that Congress must address the hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally before they lose federal deportation protections in spring.
Valadao’s Central Valley congressional district is more than 75% Latino, the highest minority percentage of any of California’s 14 Republican districts. He urged President Trump not to rescind DACA, and when rumors began last week that the president would end the program, Valadao asked House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to let the House vote on some of the legislation that’s been proposed to address the Dreamers’ legal status.
“For years, Congress has failed to repair our broken immigration system. However, in light of the president’s announcement, Congress must come together within the next six months to reach a legislative solution,” Valadao said in a statement. “I will continue to advocate on behalf of Dreamers. America is the only home these young people know and I will do everything in my power to ensure those who were brought to the United States through no fault of their own are not unjustly punished.”
Valadao’s largely agricultural district has repeatedly been targeted by Democrats. Valadao was reelected with 56.7% of the vote in 2016, but the district picked Hillary Clinton for president with 54.7% of the vote.
Two other vulnerable California Republicans have spoken in favor of a legislative fix, but the state’s other Republicans have not commented publicly.
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