Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who has represented Washington’s 7th district in the U.S. Congress since 2017, addressed issues related to immigration and foreign policy in a series of posts on April 17, 2026.
In her first post, Jayapal reflected on her experience as an immigrant serving in Congress. On April 17, she wrote: “As one of the few naturalized citizens to serve in Congress, it is difficult to constantly listen to the anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from Republicans. The reality is that immigrants contribute so much to our communities. I’m grateful to everyone who understands that.”
Later that day, Jayapal commented on changes to U.S. immigration policy under former President Donald Trump’s administration. On April 17, she posted: “The Trump administration has cut LEGAL immigration 2.5x as much as undocumented immigration, which had already fallen before Trump took office. We need to do everything we can to provide a glimmer of hope and protect the communities that are at risk right now.”
Jayapal also discussed U.S.-Cuba relations following a recent congressional delegation visit with Rep. Jackson. In her tweet from April 17, she stated: “PODCAST EPISODE 20: @Rep_Jackson and I recently went on a congressional delegation to Cuba, where we saw the impact of failed U.S. policies. Watch to hear our full recap and how we should move forward:”
Jayapal has been an active member of Congress since replacing Jim McDermott in 2017 and previously served in the Washington State Senate from 2014 to 2016. She was born in Chennai (formerly Madras State) in 1965 and currently resides in Seattle. Her academic background includes degrees from Georgetown University and Northwestern University.
