Senator Wellstone’s office has worked on behalf of hundreds of people from more than a dozen African nations, assisting with immigration concerns and family reunification, as well as helping individuals earn their United States citizenship.

Senator Paul Wellstone has been a friend and ally of the Latino community. The son of Russian immigrants, Paul has a special appreciation for the role that immigrants have played in building the United States.He knows that Latino immigrants, like the immigrants who came before them, come to the U.S. to pursue economic opportunity, escape repression and corrupt political systems, and build a better life for their children. Often they face discrimination in work, housing and education as they experience the separation from home, culture and family.

Senator Wellstone spearheaded the Hmong Veterans ’ Naturalization Act, which allows Hmong veterans, their spouses, and their widows, living in the United States to take the citizenship test with an interpreter. As a result of this legislation, over 4,000 Hmongs nationwide and 1,700 in Minnesota have now obtained their citizenship.