U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., announced his endorsement for Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Becerra, an advocate for immigrant rights and the highest ranking Latino in the House of Representatives, issued a statement to the Los Angeles Times supporting Clinton's run for the White House and her policies on immigration reform.

"No leader comes better tested in the halls of Congress and in the foreign capitals of today's international hot spots," said the Democratic congressman in the statement, according to the L.A. Times. "As president, Hillary Clinton would make sure that our kids can go to college without facing a lifetime of debt, that every American is rewarded for working hard and growing our economy, and that we fix our broken immigration system."

Although the Los Angeles congressman is backing Clinton's second presidential bid, he originally endorsed former Sen. Christopher Dodd back in the 2008 Democratic primary. After the Connecticut senator dropped out of the race, Becerra stood behind then-Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

Last week, Becerra announced that he will not run for the Senate next year, and will instead focus on getting re-elected to the House. If Becerra had decided to enter the Senate race to replace retiring California Sen. Barbara Boxer, he would have faced a tough challenge from Attorney General Kamala Harris, the top contender in the heavily Democrat state.

"My decision came down to this: Where can I make the biggest difference for hardworking people like my parents?" Becerra said, according to NBC News. "I've got much more work to do, and I'm in a very strong place to lead. I'm ready to move forward in the House of Representatives."

If Becerra remains in the House, he will have a realistic chance to one day become a Democratic leader and speaker, if Democrats win the House. He is currently chairman of the House Democratic Conference and fourth in the Democrats' ranks.