SENATOR MAZIE K. HIRONO REACTS TO BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT ON IMMIGRATION REFORM PRINCIPLES

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will oversee immigration reform legislation, released the following statement reacting to today's bipartisan agreement on the principles of immigration reform:

"I'm glad to see that there is bipartisan agreement among my colleagues regarding the principles of immigration reform. Hawaii residents are particularly interested in getting this done. Our state is an example of how our immigration system can work. We are a people of many stories and cultures, and our state is stronger because of the thousands of immigrants like me who have made Hawaii their home.

"I will review the principles my colleagues have agreed upon, and I am interested to hear what President Obama will say when he addresses the issue tomorrow. In my view, immigration reform should stay true to the principles of family unity on which our immigration system was built. Many families in Hawaii have waited for years, sometimes decades, for the government to allow their relatives to move here. That needs to be fixed.  

"With immigration reform legislation, the devil is in the details, but I'm optimistic about these developments."