Who speaks for African Americans when it comes to U.S. immigration policy? I contend it is not the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) who vociferously purport to represent the interests of 34.6 million African Americans. A perusal of the CBC Web site and press releases shows that immigration is not listed among its legislative priorities, nor has the organization, traditionally concerned with jobs and education, acknowledged the negative impact that high immigration has had and is continuing to have on many of its constituents. Because the organization has not taken an official position, despite conditions in black communities and surveys that show black and white Americans in agreement about the need for major reform, African Americans have been left devoid of a strong black voice in Congress on a topic that affects them deeply, given their high unemployment rates and historic struggle to get quality housing, health care, education, and other goods and services.

In this chapter, I discuss black representation before exploring the impact of high levels of immigration on black communities. After presenting data on the employment situation of blacks in high-immigrant areas, I argue that the best representation for African Americans will not necessarily come from the CBC. Instead, it must come from other members of Congress who have taken more decisive leadership roles on this issue.