The Colorado House convened on May 3, 2025, for Legislative Day 116, where various topics were discussed, including personal narratives that highlighted the challenges of immigration and the need for reform in the legal pathways to citizenship.

One poignant story shared during the meeting came from a representative who described her family's immigrant background. She recounted how her father emigrated from Italy with little more than a dream for a better future. As a first-generation American, she expressed gratitude for the opportunities afforded to her in the United States, which were not available to women in her family's rural Italian hometown.

The representative shared her personal experience of trying to bring her cousin to America, who faced significant barriers in the immigration process. Despite her cousin's desire for a better life and the representative's efforts to navigate the legal system, the initial application was denied due to her cousin's marital status and lack of property ownership. This experience underscored the representative's belief in the need for a more accessible legal path to citizenship, particularly for young women seeking opportunities.

Throughout her remarks, she emphasized her commitment to advocating for immigration reform, expressing frustration with the current system that she feels fails to recognize the realities faced by many individuals seeking a new life in the U.S. She called for a federal responsibility to create a more straightforward process for those in similar situations.

The meeting continued with discussions on various legislative matters, but the representative's heartfelt narrative resonated as a reminder of the human stories behind immigration policies and the ongoing need for reform in the system. The session concluded with a commitment to further explore these issues in future discussions.