U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, who represents Washington’s 7th district in Congress, has raised concerns about the treatment of children in immigration court through a series of posts on her official social media account on March 27, 2026.
In one post, Jayapal described her experience observing immigration court proceedings involving minors: “I have seen firsthand how absolutely shocking the ‘kids docket’ is in immigration court, where young children are forced to represent themselves in a language they might not even understand. This is a cruel system that leads to lasting trauma. We must fix this.” (March 27, 2026).
Later that day, she highlighted the personal impact of current immigration enforcement practices by sharing the story of a teenager: “I shouldn’t be living like this. No kid should.” Listen to Manny, a 17 year old U.S. citizen, speak about the constant fear that he and his community live in due to ICE’s attacks on our families.” (March 27, 2026).
Jayapal also called for systemic changes to legal representation for minors facing removal proceedings: “We need to ensure that every single child is provided an attorney in immigration removal proceedings. Children should not be expected to represent themselves in court.” (March 27, 2026).
Pramila Jayapal has served as the representative for Washington’s 7th District since replacing Jim McDermott in 2017 and previously held office in the Washington State Senate from 2014 to 2016. She was born in Chennai, India, and currently resides in Seattle. Jayapal graduated from Georgetown University with a BA and later earned another degree from Northwestern University.
