Pramila Jayapal

Pramila Jayapal
Official portrait, 2019
Pramila Jayapal
Born	21 9, 1965
Birthplace	Madras, Madras State (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu), India
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, civil rights activist
Known for	First Indian American woman in the U.S. House of Representatives; founder of OneAmerica; Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Education	Georgetown University (BA) Northwestern University (MBA)
Children	2
Website	[[jayapal.house.gov jayapal.house.gov] Official site]

Pramila Jayapal (born September 21, 1965) is an American politician and civil rights activist serving as the U.S. representative from Washington's 7th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents most of Seattle and surrounding suburban areas of King County. Jayapal is the first Indian American woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Asian American to represent the state of Washington at the federal level. Before entering electoral politics, she spent more than a decade as a Seattle-based civil rights and immigrant advocacy leader, founding the organization originally known as Hate Free Zone — later renamed OneAmerica — in the wake of the September 11 attacks. In the U.S. House, she has served on both the Judiciary Committee and the Budget Committee. From 2019 to 2025, she led the Congressional Progressive Caucus, first as co-chair alongside Mark Pocan and then as sole chair, making her one of the most prominent progressive voices in Congress. As of 2026, she serves as Ranking Member of the Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Committee.

Early Life

Pramila Jayapal was born on September 21, 1965, in Madras (now Chennai), in the Indian state of Madras State (now Tamil Nadu). Her mother is Maya Jayapal, and she has a sister, Susheela Jayapal, who later entered politics in Oregon. Her parents were described in media coverage as having instilled in her an interest in social justice from an early age.

Jayapal moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue her education. She grew up navigating two cultures and has spoken publicly about the challenges of immigrating to a new country as a teenager. She held Indian citizenship from birth until 2000, when she became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Her early experiences as an immigrant informed much of her later career in advocacy and politics. She has described the process of adjusting to life in the United States as formative, shaping her understanding of the barriers faced by immigrant communities and motivating her work on immigration reform and civil rights.

Education

Jayapal attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She later pursued graduate studies at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Her education combined training in public policy and business management, a background she would later draw on in both her nonprofit advocacy work and her legislative career.

Career

Civil Rights and Immigrant Advocacy

Before entering electoral politics, Jayapal spent over a decade working as a civil rights activist and community organizer in the Seattle area. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, she founded an organization called Hate Free Zone to combat hate crimes and discrimination targeting immigrant communities, particularly those of South Asian, Arab, and Muslim descent. The organization worked on immigrant rights, civic engagement, and policy advocacy in Washington State. It was later renamed OneAmerica to reflect a broader mission of multiethnic and multiracial immigrant advocacy.

Jayapal served as the executive director of OneAmerica until 2012. Under her leadership, the organization grew into one of the largest immigrant advocacy organizations in the state of Washington. OneAmerica engaged in legislative advocacy at both the state and federal levels, community organizing, and voter registration drives aimed at increasing civic participation among immigrant communities.

During this period, Jayapal was also involved in broader civic affairs in Seattle. She served on the City of Seattle's Income Inequality Advisory Committee, which examined issues related to economic disparities in the city. She was also involved in the process of selecting Seattle's police chief, reflecting her engagement with a range of local policy issues.

Her work at OneAmerica and in the broader Seattle civic landscape established Jayapal as a prominent figure in progressive politics in Washington State, laying the groundwork for her transition to elected office.

Washington State Senate

In 2014, Jayapal ran for the Washington State Senate, seeking to represent the 37th legislative district, which encompasses a diverse area of Seattle. She won a competitive six-candidate primary. She went on to win the general election, succeeding Adam Kline in the seat.

Jayapal took office on January 12, 2015, and served in the Washington State Senate until December 11, 2016, when she resigned to prepare for her transition to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was succeeded in the state senate by Rebecca Saldaña.

During her time in the state senate, Jayapal focused on issues including immigration, labor rights, and social justice. Her tenure was relatively brief, as she soon set her sights on federal office.

U.S. House of Representatives

Election

In 2016, Jayapal ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington's 7th congressional district, a seat being vacated by the retiring Jim McDermott, who had represented the district since 1989. The 7th district, which includes most of Seattle and surrounding suburban areas, is one of the most reliably Democratic districts in the nation. Jayapal won the Democratic primary and subsequently won the general election, becoming the first Indian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was also the first woman and first Asian American to represent Washington State in Congress at the federal level.

She took office on January 3, 2017, and has been reelected in subsequent election cycles.

Committee Assignments

In the U.S. House, Jayapal has served on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Budget Committee. Her assignment to the Judiciary Committee has placed her at the center of major legislative debates over immigration policy, civil liberties, and oversight of the executive branch. As of February 2026, she holds the position of Ranking Member of the Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Committee, a subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee.

Congressional Progressive Caucus

Jayapal became co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) in January 2019, serving alongside Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin. She succeeded Raúl Grijalva in the leadership role. In 2021, she became the sole chair of the CPC, a position she held until January 3, 2025, when she was succeeded by Greg Casar.

As chair of the CPC, Jayapal oversaw the caucus during a period of significant legislative activity and political contention. The CPC, the largest caucus within the Democratic Party in the House, advocates for progressive policy priorities including expanded healthcare access, climate action, labor protections, and immigration reform. Jayapal used her position to push for the inclusion of progressive priorities in major legislation, including infrastructure and social spending packages considered during the 117th Congress.

Legislative Priorities and Advocacy

Throughout her tenure in the House, Jayapal has focused on several key policy areas:

Immigration: Consistent with her pre-congressional career, immigration has been a central focus of Jayapal's legislative work. She has advocated for comprehensive immigration reform, protections for undocumented immigrants, and oversight of immigration enforcement agencies. In February 2026, she conducted an oversight visit to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, where, according to a report from KOMO News, she alleged that she was forced to wait for hours and was initially denied access to speak with detained individuals. She has also demanded answers from the federal government regarding the expansion of immigration detention facilities in Washington State. In February 2026, she led 20 members of Congress in calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to review the case of a detained individual, Rodney Taylor, and consider his request for release.

Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ Rights: In February 2026, Jayapal, along with Senator Ed Markey and Representatives Sara Jacobs and others, introduced the Trans Bill of Rights, described in the announcement as a landmark piece of legislation aimed at codifying protections for transgender Americans.

Government Oversight: As a member of the Judiciary Committee, Jayapal has been involved in oversight activities related to the Department of Justice. In February 2026, she appeared on NPR to discuss her assessment of Attorney General Pam Bondi's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, which she characterized as contentious. That same month, she joined Representatives Jamie Raskin and others in demanding that the DOJ end what they described as "secret surveillance" of members of Congress who were reviewing files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Protest and Civil Disobedience: In June 2018, Jayapal was among a group of women, including several members of Congress, arrested during a protest in Washington, D.C., against the Trump administration's immigration policies, particularly the family separation policy. The protest was covered by The New York Times and Fortune magazine.

2026 Activities

In February 2026, Jayapal announced that she would bring Marijke Chartouni, described as an Epstein survivor, as her guest to the State of the Union address. This announcement was part of her broader engagement with issues related to the Epstein case and government accountability.

Personal Life

Jayapal has two children. Her sister, Susheela Jayapal, is also active in politics and has served in local government in Oregon.

Jayapal was born in India and held Indian citizenship from 1965 until 2000, when she became a naturalized citizen of the United States. She has spoken about her personal experience as an immigrant as informing her legislative work, particularly on issues related to immigration policy and civil rights.

She resides in the Seattle area, within the boundaries of Washington's 7th congressional district, which she represents.

Recognition

Jayapal's election to Congress in 2016 was noted as historic, as she became the first Indian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was also the first woman elected to represent Washington's 7th congressional district and the first Asian American to represent Washington State at the federal level.

Her work as founder and executive director of OneAmerica (originally Hate Free Zone) was recognized as a significant contribution to immigrant advocacy in the Pacific Northwest. The organization grew under her leadership into one of Washington State's largest immigrant rights organizations.

Her role as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus from 2021 to 2025 placed her among the most prominent progressive leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives during a period of significant legislative debate over infrastructure, social spending, and other policy priorities.

Media coverage of Jayapal has included profiles and interviews by major national outlets, including NPR, The New York Times, Fortune, and The Seattle Times, reflecting her prominence in national progressive politics and her role in debates over immigration, civil rights, and government oversight.

Legacy

Jayapal's career spans two distinct but connected phases: her pre-congressional work as a civil rights and immigrant advocacy leader, and her service in elected office at both the state and federal levels. The founding of Hate Free Zone (later OneAmerica) in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks represented an early and organized response to the wave of anti-immigrant sentiment and hate crimes that followed those events. The organization has continued to operate as an advocacy group in Washington State.

As the first Indian American woman in the U.S. House of Representatives, Jayapal's election represented a milestone in the political representation of South Asian Americans and immigrant communities in federal government. Her election was part of a broader increase in the diversity of Congress in the 2010s and 2020s.

Her leadership of the Congressional Progressive Caucus during a period that included debates over major infrastructure and social spending legislation, as well as oversight of the executive branch, positioned her as a key figure in intra-party negotiations within the Democratic Party. The CPC under her leadership sought to ensure that progressive policy goals — including expanded healthcare access, climate action, and immigration reform — were included in major legislative packages.

As of 2026, Jayapal continues to serve in Congress, representing Washington's 7th congressional district and holding the position of Ranking Member on the Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Committee. She remains active in legislative and oversight work related to immigration enforcement, civil rights, and government accountability.