January 3, 2018 - NHLA Calls for Swift Passage of DREAM Act

January 3, 2018

NHLA CALLS FOR SWIFT PASSAGE OF DREAM ACT

Latino leaders demand meeting with congressional leadership

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 45 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, expressed deep disappointment with Congressional inaction that continues to leave hundreds of thousands of Dreamers at risk for deportation and jeopardizes their ability to work and study. It is unacceptable that Congress adjourned for the holidays without passing the Dream Act or taking any other meaningful steps toward a solution for Dreamers following President Trump’s ill-considered decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

In letters sent today, NHLA calls for urgent meetings with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to discuss directly with national Latino leaders the need for swift passage of the Dream Act; a critical legislative priority for the growing U.S. Latino community. The vast majority of DACA holders are Latino.

“It is unconscionable that Congress went home for the holidays without providing a solution for DACA recipients — a direct affront to these hardworking immigrants and a slap in the face of the Latino community,” said Hector E. Sanchez Barba, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council Latin American Advancement. “We call on Congressional leaders to meet with us and we demand that they act without delay to provide relief for hundreds of thousands of young Dreamers and their families.”

“Latino influence in elections is substantial and increasing, and the 2018 midterm elections will be no exception,” said Thomas A. Saenz, NHLA Vice Chair and MALDEF President and General Counsel. “Congressional leaders ignore the strong Latino community interest in and support for the DREAM Act at their own peril; NHLA continues to demand swift and clean enactment of this legislation in time to ensure fair and timely implementation.”

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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.