The White House honored the 21st anniversary of Barbara Jordan’s death Wednesday and cited her support for Trump-aligned immigration reforms long before the president took office last year.
“‘It is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.’ With this simple, common sense perspective, civil rights icon Barbara Jordan challenged our nation’s leaders to maximize opportunities for all Americans by adopting an immigration policy that puts American citizens first,” President Trump said in a statement issued by the White House.
The Trump administration recognized her work and legacy in civil rights, immigration reform, and as the first Texan woman to have served in the House of Representatives.
Jordan served as chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, which is now referred to as the Jordan Commission.
Former President Bill Clinton created the commission in the early 1990s and appointed six Democrats, including Jordan, to determine how best to reform immigration laws in a way that put America’s interests first. Jordan died before the commission’s bill was passed and her recommendations were not included in it.
Two of Jordan’s recommendations — ending chain migration and implementing an electronic employment verification system — remain unfulfilled to this day and are major components of the Trump administration’s proposal to reform current laws.
“Though Barbara Jordan passed away on January 17, 1996, her noble fight to secure prosperity, fairness, and equal opportunity for America’s workers lives on. In the spirit of Jordan’s vision, my administration has taken an America First approach to immigration,” Trump said. “My administration is optimistic that Republicans and Democrats in Congress will come together, for the good of our country, to pass legislation that secures our southern border with a wall, stops chain migration, and ends the visa lottery program once and for all.”
