Latinos United for Immigration Reform

February 13, 2018 - NHLA Urges Senate to Provide Relief to Dreamers and TPS Holders in Limbo

February 13, 2018

NHLA URGES SENATE TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO DREAMERS AND TPS HOLDERS IN LIMBO
Latino leaders call on Senate to pass the Dream Act without giving in to Trump’s racist demands


WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the U.S. Senate begins debating immigration legislation this week, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 45 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, urges Congressional leaders to take action by passing the Dream Act, protecting TPS holders, and rejecting Donald Trump’s immigration framework.

Hundreds of thousands of Dreamers have been held in limbo for far too long and Trump’s proposals thus far — offering a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients at the cost of drastic changes to the immigration system, including deep cuts to legal immigration, the elimination of the diversity visa lottery system, and $25 billion for his wall along the U.S.-Mexico Border — are divisive, impractical, and racist.

If Congress is serious about providing better economic opportunities and growth for our country, then it must pass legislation to protect Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and allow them the opportunities to flourish and contribute.

“Meaningful action on addressing President Trump’s decision to end DACA is long-overdue,” said Hector E. Sanchez Barba, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council Latin American Advancement. “As Congressional leaders finally begin addressing immigration, an issue of critical importance to the Latino community, we urge Senators to reject Trump’s racist and inhumane proposals and instead focus on providing immigrant youth and TPS holders with a pathway to citizenship so that they can continue living, working and studying here in the United States — the country they know as home and to which they are already contributing so much.”

"Protecting immigrant youth and TPS holders in this country and in the domestic workforce, at a time of full employment, is critical to our nation's future; failure to do so would have dire economic repercussions," said Thomas A. Saenz, NHLA Vice Chair and MALDEF President and General Counsel. "Senate debate is not enough; congressional leadership in both houses must abandon their abhorrent current status as apologists for nativism and enact essential protections for these strong immigrant contributors to our economic success."

“Trump and his congressional followers have badly miscalculated what the American people want as well as our resolve to protect our children,” Jose Calderon, President of the Hispanic Federation and Co-Chair of NHLA's Immigration Committee said. “We are never going to allow our children to lose their jobs or their homes, be prevented from serving their country, or be removed from their families and their loved ones. That is never going to happen. We are committed to working with Congressional allies, businesses, advocates and people of good conscience all across America to help Trump and Trump Republicans come to their senses and stop this war on our children and families."

 “Farmworkers deserve respect because they form the backbone of our food and agriculture system. The large majority of farmworkers are immigrants and many are undocumented. They should be given the opportunity to earn immigration status, as should the Dreamers, some of whom are children of farmworkers. Instead, the Trump Administration spends time scapegoating immigrants to inflame public opinion and devising cruel policy proposals. Congress should fix our broken immigration system and respect the immigrants who serve our country,” said Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice and NHLA Board Member.

“It is essential that Congress focus on providing a pathway to stability for Dreamers that gives them an opportunity to be fully incorporated into the fabric of society, while at the same time not undermining the family-based immigration policies that represent important values in American society,” said Patricia Tototzintle, CEO of Casa de Esperanza. “Congress should focus on resolving the urgent situation facing Dreamers and TPS holders and then commit to continue working toward a more complete bipartisan immigration reform package in the future.”

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 
| Michael Torra | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (202) 425-0582 |
| Brenda Arredondo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (915) 373-1483 |

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 | GreenLatinos | 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 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 | UnidosUS | United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | United States Hispanic Leadership Institute | United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce | U.S.- Mexico Foundation | Voto Latino

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