LATINO LEADERS CONDEMN SB4 TEXAS "SHOW ME YOUR PAPERS" LAW

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 45 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, strongly opposes action taken by the state of Texas to ban sanctuary cities that provide a reprieve to immigrants seeking refuge in the United States. The law, which requires state and local law agencies to enforce federal immigration law has come under fire by many groups, including NHLA leaders. Law enforcement officers and elected officials that refuse to implement the law face criminal and civil penalties.

NHLA has opposed similar attempts to ban sanctuary cities in the past citing the fact that anti-immigrant measures, like these, threaten the health, safety, and civil rights of all individuals who live in jurisdictions where these measures have been undertaken. The Texas law has already resulted in widespread fear among community members, and it puts innocent citizens at risk for discrimination, violence, and abuse. Advocates also believe that the law will lead to wasting taxpayer dollars and will place an undue burden on law enforcement officials to enforce immigration laws.

“The law, which Governor Greg Abbott signed on Sunday, puts eligible immigrants at risk for deportation, chills the ability of immigrant victims to report crimes, and leaves immigrant community members vulnerable to exploitation, discrimination, and racial profiling. It also criminalizes and otherwise penalizes law enforcement officials who refuse to abide by the immigration detainers. This “show me your papers” law will only serve to drive a wedge between immigrant and Latino communities and the law enforcement community that is meant to protect all community members,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, Chair of the NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA). “Our nation is best served when all people can come together in unity to make our country better, rather than forcing some further into the shadows. Now more than ever, we must continue to mobilize community members, and we must exercise our power at the ballot box. Attacks on our community will have political consequences.”

“SB 4 would take Texas back to its Wild West past by empowering every individual untrained police officer or sheriff’s deputy to decide whether and how to enforce immigration law, with this self-selection leading to a rash of racial profiling and biased policing,” said Thomas A. Saenz, NHLA Vice Chair and MALDEF President and General Counsel. “Returning Texas to the modern equivalent of vigilante posse justice violates the rights of Latinos and of all Texans who fit any of the stereotypes of the undocumented.”

“Authority for enforcing federal immigration law resides solely with the federal government. Law enforcement officials should use their limited time and resources to administer the laws of their localities rather than immigration laws that they are not trained or responsible for carrying out,” said Jose Calderon, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Immigration Committee and President of the Hispanic Federation. “Measures such as the Texas “Show me your Papers” law target communities of color and will, ultimately, make our communities less safe, diminishing the trust in local law enforcement.”

“This extreme law marks a dark moment in the history of Texas and our nation. Texas is home to the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health’s Texas Latina Advocacy Network (TXLAN), a powerful base of thousands of Latinx leaders and activists fighting for human rights and reproductive justice, who are deeply impacted by this law,” said Jessica González-Rojas, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Health Committee and Latina Task Force and Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. “Despite opposition from law enforcement chiefs of major jurisdictions, members of the business, faith and directly impacted immigrant communities, including women and children, Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrongly moved forward and signed this “show me your papers” law. This law unfairly targets Latinos and immigrants and punishes the undocumented community by enabling local law enforcement to act as deportation agents. Shame on Governor Abbott and the legislative xenophobes who enacted this law, which only serves to harm the people of Texas and our nation.”

“By mandating increased entanglement between federal immigration enforcement and local law enforcement, this legislation will further undermine access to safety and justice for immigrant victims and their children,” said Patti Tototzintle, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Latina Task Force and CEO of Casa de Esperanza. “Eroding community policing efforts and driving victims and witnesses further into the shadows will also undermine public safety for all in the community. Texas should instead focus on strengthening family and community well-being.”

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC LEADERSHIP AGENDA

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda is composed of 45 of the leading national and regional Latino civil rights and public policy organizations and other elected officials, and prominent Latinos Americans. NHLA coalition members represent the diversity of the Latino community – Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latino Americans. NHLA’s mission calls for unity among Latinos around the country to provide the Latino community with greater visibility and a clearer, stronger influence in our country’s affairs. NHLA brings together Latino leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole. For more information, please visit: www.nationalhispanicleadership.org.

NHLA MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Alianza Americas | American G.I. Forum | ASPIRA Association | Avance Inc. | Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network | Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute | Farmworker Justice | Green Latinos | Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities | Hispanic Federation | Hispanic National Bar Association | Inter-University Program for Latino Research | Labor Council for Latin American Advancement | Latino Justice PRLDEF | League of United Latin American Citizens | MANA, A National Latina Organization | Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund | Mi Familia Vota | National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures | National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives | National Association of Hispanic Publications | National Day Laborer Organizing Network | NALEO Educational Fund | National Association of Latino Independent Producers | National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. | National Council of La Raza | National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators | National Hispanic Council on Aging | National Hispanic Environmental Council | National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts | National Hispanic Media Coalition | National Hispanic Medical Association | National Institute for Latino Policy | National Latina/o Psychological Association | National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health | Presente.org | SER Jobs for Progress National | Southwest Voter Registration Education Project | United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | United States Hispanic Leadership Institute | United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce | U.S.- Mexico Foundation | Voto Latino