Since then, the country’s undocumented population grew from 3.5 million in 1990 to 10.5 million as of 2017, according to figures from the Pew Research Center. There were 240,000 undocumented immigrants in Washington state as of 2016, about 3% of the state’s population and 23% of the state’s immigrant population, according to the American Immigration Council.
Villanueva’s view on immigration policy is shaped by numerous years working in rural development, including with Catholic Charities in Yakima and as state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development under the Obama administration.
“These folks are seeking to find a better life and are willing to work at it,” he said. “Our
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