Washington, DC – Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) today issued the following statement in reaction to updated standards issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency regarding worksite immigration raids.  Woolsey, who chairs the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, held a hearing on the impact that immigration raids have on children last Spring.

“The new regulations issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are an important step towards mitigating the serious damage that workplace raids have caused in the lives of thousands of families in recent years.  In particular, many immigrants swept up in these raids are unable to arrange adequate care for their children.  Hopefully we can build upon these new regulations, and expand and strengthen humanitarian protections for the thousands of families swept up in raids outside of workplaces.  In the months to come I look forward to working with my colleagues to develop a comprehensive humane and responsible approach to such enforcing our immigration laws, and expanding humanitarian protections to include all immigration enforcement actions.