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Jessica Ramos: “I am the proud daughter of formerly undocumented immigrants…”

Featuring: Jessica Ramos, Democratic | New York State Senate, District 13

Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026

Published June 11, 2026 | Video Starts at 19:35

For the pandemic, for Hurricane Ida, and for the major immigration influx over the last few years. And we do have a deep history of immigrants living in our community for the past 100 plus years. I am the proud daughter of formerly undocumented immigrants from Colombia who were able to legalize their status with the Reagan amnesty in the 80s. And I believe that every immigrant should have a path to citizenship if they work hard, pay their taxes and are following the law. (19:35–19:46)

CLAIM

Asserts that her parents legalized their status through the Reagan amnesty in the 1980s.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Jessica Ramos

“I have passed over 200 bills in the New York State Senate.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 00:59-01:03
“I have written over 50 laws squarely focused on raising the minimum wage, creating the $2.1 billion Excluded Workers Fund, fighting wage…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 01:02-01:21
“Five of our hospitals [in Queens] closed over the last 15 plus years.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 23:22-23:28
“Donald Trump and his administration cut $300 million in cloudburst flood mitigation funding from this community.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 45:57-46:06
“We actually lost 12 people during Hurricane Ida who drowned in their basement apartments.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 46:23-46:31
“I have passed over 200 bills.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 00:59-01:02
“I have written over 50 laws.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 01:02-01:06
“I'm the last person to have raised the minimum wage in New York State and tie it to inflation.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 08:57-09:09
“We are at least going up $1 every January.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 09:14-09:18
“I would support a raise in the minimum wage further.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 09:21-09:25
“I would especially be supportive of property tax reform.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 09:25-09:30
“Tenants pay property taxes through our rent too.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 09:37-09:41
“We have been the epicenter for many things. For the pandemic, for Hurricane Ida, and for the major immigration influx over the last few…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 19:15-19:27
“Every immigrant should have a path to citizenship if they work hard, pay their taxes and are following the law.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 19:48-19:57
“What every immigrant should be able to get is a work permit.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 20:00-20:05
“A work permit is what would allow workers to not feel desperate for income and fall prey to so many predatory transnational criminal…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 20:05-20:21
“I've been honoring [the American promise] in the New York State Senate for the last eight years.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 20:36-20:40
“Having fewer hospital beds and having fewer mental health facilities across the state has really impacted our public health and our public…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 23:28-23:40
“I am very proud to be the prime co-sponsor of the New York Health Act in the New York State Senate.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 23:40-23:46
“We are literally one or two Senate members close to having a majority in the New York State Senate to get [the New York Health Act] done.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 23:49-23:59
“I have also led on the expansion of mental health courts in New York State.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 24:13-24:19
“I actually have been able to get [the mental health courts bill] out of committee.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 24:23-24:26
“I am going to keep fighting just as strong as I have for the past eight years in the New York State Senate to make the New York State Health…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 24:52-25:01
“New housing puts pressure on our aging infrastructure.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 28:38-28:44
“There's so much sewage, backup and flooding issues when we get rapid rainfall, especially in East Elkhurst and Corona.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 28:46-28:55
“We need federal dollars in order to build the infrastructure to put the laborers and a lot of the other unions to work.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 29:05-29:14
“Many of the people living closest to Citi Field and its parking lot, which is where the Metropolitan park project has been proposed, are the…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 29:51-30:09
“We brought President Biden to come see what had happened in East Elbhurst.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 30:08-30:15
“I had to get the city to give us a special dispensation from the health department in order to redo not one, but two private alleyways in…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 30:14-30:26
“I want to talk about two other grand use issues. Issues I had earmarked millions of dollars and my former chief of staff who is here is…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 41:24-41:39
“The minute the pastor of First Baptist Church decided to support the casino, the deal with urban health plan fell through.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 41:38-41:46
“We have the $6 million in discretionary funding to acquire that piece of land [for senior housing].”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 42:27-42:40
“The city has only wanted to put up $4 million [for the land acquisition].”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 42:50-42:54
“There is a tremendous opportunity to build more than 50 units [of senior housing] right in the heart of Jackson Heights.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 42:57-43:05
“I introduced legislation called the Recourse act that demands that we withhold our payments to the federal government.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 46:43-46:52
“We don't have enough hospital beds, psychiatric beds, and programming in order to help people ensure that they are being taken care of and…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 50:16-50:32
“Too many people are walking around New York State undiagnosed with their mental health challenges, and that puts each and every one of us at…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 50:31-50:43
“We deserve to make sure that we are providing mental health services for everybody.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 51:08-51:16
“I am the proud bill sponsor for the jobs and housing act in the New York State Senate.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:00:39-1:00:47
“It is a bill that takes us back pre michellama to the way New York City and New York State used to build housing for workers.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:00:46-1:00:57
“We're going to be leveraging our taxpayer dollars with union pension funds in order to not only build the low income housing that we need…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:00:57-1:01:25
“There is only one way to get rid of shelters and that is to provide permanent housing for New Yorkers.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:01:26-1:01:34
“Every New Yorker deserves a roof over their head, whether it is, whether it's an apartment as a renter, whether it's helping them finally be…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:01:33-1:01:54
“We need wraparound services for the people who are struggling.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:01:58-1:02:02
“We have to make sure that we are building low income housing in order to make sure that everyone can get off a couch, get out to shelters…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:02:02-1:02:19
“Airplane noise starts earlier than ever before due to runway changes at LaGuardia Airport.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:05:11-1:05:21
“We have had conversations with the Port Authority to accelerate repairs of those runways.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:05:36-1:05:52
“I was able to champion the free Q70 [bus service].”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:06:32-1:06:43
“We stopped the air train [project] because it ignored the entire neighborhood of East Elmhurst.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:06:44-1:06:59
“East Elmhurst has long been a three-fare zone.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:06:58-1:07:16
“One of them is an expelled state senator who was convicted of misdemeanor assault against the Ring, Who was sent to jail for stealing money…”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:16:02-1:16:34
“Your second option is an assembly woman who asks for your trust, but in six years has only been able to pass three bills.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:16:40-1:16:52
“The second candidate is an assembly woman whose record is actually bested by nearly two dozen Republican assembly members.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:18:41-1:18:55
“Republicans pass more bills than her in the New York State Assembly.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:18:56-1:19:00
“I have brought home millions of dollars for workforce development programs for our community based organizations.”
Debate among the three candidates— Jessica Ramos, Hiram Monserrate and Jessica González Rojas—2026 | Uploaded June 11, 2026 | 1:26:58-1:27:06