(SACRAMENTO) – Assemblymembers Kevin McCarty (D- Sacramento), Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D – San Diego) and Adrin Nazarian (D- Sherman Oaks) will introduce a legislative package that builds upon California’s efforts to welcome and successfully integrate refugees from around the world.
The California Welcomes Refugees package pushes back on religious and racially charged hate rhetoric from the federal government that has sought to limit refugees and other legal immigrants from entering the United States. The legislative package will offer a number of ways to help refugees successfully integrate in California, including:
- Providing refugees with in-state tuition at public colleges and providing priority enrollment for refugees with a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) (those who served the U.S. Armed Forces or the U.S. State Department in Iraq or Afghanistan).
- Allowing SIV refugees to apply foreign work experience toward a professional license.
- Making a one-time budget request of $5 million to provide grants to Local Education Agencies in counties with high child refugee populations to improve refugee student integration.
- Declaring June 20, 2017 as World Refugee Day and affirming California’s commitment to support and protect refugees from throughout the world.
McCarty, Gonzalez Fletcher and Nazarian represent Sacramento, San Diego and Los Angeles Counties respectively, home to the largest populations of refugees in California. Between 1975 and 2015, California welcomed over 725,000 refugees to the Golden State. In 2016, nearly 8,000 new refugees called California home.
What: Introduction of “California Welcomes Refugees” legislative package
Who: Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D – Sacramento)
Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D – San Diego)
Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (D- Sherman Oaks)
Paula Villescaz, Member, San Juan Unified School District Board of Education
Mai Vang, Member, Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education
Hamidulla Hamidi, refugee from Afghanistan,
Azra Bajramovic, Program Manager, Opening Doors
When: Wednesday, February 8, 2017, 11:30 AM
Where: State Capitol, Room 317, Sacramento, CA 95814
Social Media: @AsmKevinMcCarty @LorenaAD80 @Asm_Nazarian #RefugeesWelcome, #CALeg
You can view the Facebook Live broadcast of the press conference at: www.fb.com/AsmKevinMcCarty
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Kevin McCarty represents California’s 7th Assembly District, which include the cities and communities of Antelope, Elverta, North Highlands, Rio Linda, Sacramento and West Sacramento. McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.
CONTACT: Terry Schanz, (916) 319-2007