Seattle City Wire

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a U.S. Congresswoman representing Washington's 7th district since 2017, recently expressed her concerns on social media regarding several pressing issues. Jayapal, who succeeded Jim McDermott and previously served in the Washington State Senate, voiced her thoughts on immigration enforcement practices and potential policy impacts on healthcare and school programs.

On January 28, 2025, Rep. Jayapal criticized the ordering of immigration raids at sensitive locations such as schools, places of worship, and healthcare facilities. She stated that "Ordering immigration raids at schools, places of worship, and health care facilities is beyond cruel." She emphasized that these venues should serve as safe havens rather than sites for deportation activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Later that day, Jayapal questioned the White House's stance on healthcare policies affecting millions of Americans. In her tweet posted at 19:42 UTC, she wrote: "I'm sorry — the White House *doesn't know* if they're freezing health care for 72 million people?" Her statement reflects uncertainty surrounding potential disruptions in healthcare services.

In another tweet from January 28 at 21:02 UTC, Rep. Jayapal addressed concerns raised by parents in Washington about school lunch programs potentially being affected by a funding freeze attributed to President Trump’s administration. She noted that "Washington parents are calling my office, worried that school lunch programs will be frozen and that their kids will come home hungry tomorrow." She urged a reversal of this funding freeze to alleviate fears among families regarding their children's access to meals.