Rep. Lateefah Simon

It’s official! I’ve been sworn in as a Member of Congress. Let’s get to work for California's 12th Congressional District.

ICE detained Harjit Kaur—a 73-year-old grandmother who’s lived in the U.S. for 30 years, has no record, and checked in every 6 months for 13 years. Under Trump’s cruel policy, she’s now cut off from her family and medication. @RepLSimon and I are fighting for her. nbcnews.com/news/us-news/c…

Thank you to the #GlobalSumudFlotilla —including an individual from the East Bay who is traveling on the flotilla—for leading a peaceful humanitarian mission to end man-made famine and genocide in Gaza. I urge the Israeli government to end the blockade and let desperately needed humanitarian aid in immediately.

The Trump administration is using confidential data collected by federal agencies to racially profile immigrant communities. My district is one of the most diverse places in the country, and in CA-12 we don’t stand by while our neighbors are harassed, terrorized, and illegally detained. That’s why I’m cosponsoring the Home Together Act and the Limiting ICE’s National Encroachment Act to reign this administration in. CA-12 says not in our neighborhood.

LIVE: I'm standing with my colleagues, advocates, and American families demanding justice and accountability for U.S. citizen deaths in the West Bank and Gaza. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Last week, Ms. Harjit Kaur —a member of the Hercules community for over 30 years who spent years working at Sari Palace in Berkeley— was detained by ICE officials.    Ms. Kaur is a mother, grandmother, and beloved member of her community. Her detention is yet another example of the Trump Administration’s callous campaign against immigrants. She has reported to ICE every six months and has no criminal record -- the point is cruelty.    I join @RepGaramendi, who represents Ms. Kaur, in calling for the safe release of our Bay Area neighbor.

As ICE terrorizes Los Angeles, Trump is directing federal agencies to hand over Medicaid data so they can hunt down immigrants. This week, I introduced the LINE Act to block ICE from getting access to our private health care information. Hands off our data.

CA-12 is one of the most diverse places in the U.S., with dozens of languages spoken, rich histories of migration, and deep roots of political engagement. Since the start of my term in Congress, I have been committed to sitting, speaking, and being with everyone in our district. And since being sworn in in January, I am proud to have welcomed over 4,000 people across NINE town halls, including at town halls in every one of the seven cities in our district. Thank you for your stories, your voices, and your time -- I am carrying your voices with me to the halls of Congress every day. The work continues.

If we are serious about keeping kids healthy, we need to fund these programs and bring down the price of groceries so that the average family can actually afford a nutritious meal.

Oversight Committee Republicans organized a hearing this week to talk about childhood nutrition. Great, let’s talk about it. When I was a young single mother working and going to school, SNAP and WIC kept me and my baby healthy and fed.

I spoke on the House Floor against extreme and cruel amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act that would ban data collection on gender identity at DOD. As a Vice Chair of the @EqualityCaucus, I will never stop fighting for the rights of our LGBTQ+ siblings.

Safety is found in care — not in conquest. I joined @repdeliaramirez, @Justice4Mahmoud, @CynthiaNixon, Morgan Spector, and my colleagues to call for the passage of the Block the Bombs Act and say that the genocide in Gaza MUST end.

The threats made against HBCUs cannot be swept aside. The U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI must act swiftly to fully investigate these threats and pursue the appropriate legal action against those responsible.

Our democracy depends on fair representation. Republicans are working to rig congressional maps by weakening Black voting power across our country. Their desperate and racist attempts to cling to power will fail. We are not going back.

Our communities deserve to live in safety and without the fear that their personal information will be turned over to ICE to be used against them. That is why I co-sponsored @RepKamlagerDove and @RepJuanVargas’ bills that protect highly sensitive information from being exploited by the Trump Administration.

September 11, 2001 is a day our country will never forget. As we remember the lives lost, we honor the sacrifice and bravery of our nation’s first responders who answered the call to danger.

Join me and @RepJuanVargas as we introduce two new bills to prevent federal agencies from sharing our personal health care and housing data with ICE.   Let’s protect immigrant families. Hands off our data.

Let me be clear. The way that Republicans are trying to redraw our electoral maps  is racist.

Their new maps WILL disenfranchise Black and brown voters and tear apart the rights and protections our elders fought so hard for. The Congressional Black Caucus will not stand for it. We are not strangers to fighting for our rights. We know what it takes and we are not backing down.

This nation must break the grip of gun violence and stop treating these attacks as inevitable. Political violence is abhorrent. These acts are preventable and we owe the American people the courage to act.

I am proud to have secured over $91 MILLION in federal funding for the East Bay in August, and over $240 MILLION in federal funding for CA-12 since January! This funding will go towards HeadStart programs, programs that address gender-based violence, and substance abuse recovery initatives. This is what investing in our communities, our people, our future looks like. I will continue to tirelessly work so our people are fought for and cared for.

I’m incredibly proud to stand alongside @SenAdamSchiff , @RepAOC and @DonaldNorcross in introducing legislation to ensure striking workers have access to unemployment insurance.   From the longshore workers of West Oakland to front line workers across the East Bay, no worker should ever have to choose between exercising their right to fair bargaining and putting food on the table for their family. That’s not a level playing field, it’s exploitation.   This bill restores balance, strengthens workers’ voices, and empowers them to fight for better wages and conditions.