Our Agenda

January 8, 2018


LATINO LEADERS DENOUNCE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DECISION TO END TPS FOR SALVADORANS


WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 45 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, denounces the Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 250,000 Salvadorans granted TPS following devastating earthquakes that hit El Salvador in 2001.

El Salvador represents the largest group of TPS holders in the U.S. These individuals now have a limited amount of time to determine whether they will remain in the United States without official documentation or leave the country they have called home for almost two decades. Trump’s agenda to reduce lawful immigration runs contrary to our American values by tearing families apart and will hurt the national economy. NHLA calls upon Congress to urgently take up legislation to provide permanent protection for TPS holders.

“By canceling TPS for Salvadorans, the Trump administration is actually creating new groups of immigrants it can deport in order to pander to its base, while shamelessly tearing apart families. Nearly 190,000 U.S.-born children are at risk of losing their parents and loved ones,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. “This is inhumane. NHLA calls on Congress to act and help save these people from an uncertain fate.”

“Demonstrating the decided lack of leadership that characterizes this administration, the Secretary of Homeland Security has opted to trigger tremendous disruption of our economy and of our communities by stripping legal status from over a quarter of a million Salvadoran immigrants,” said Thomas A. Saenz, Vice Chair of NHLA and President and General Counsel of MALDEF. “It makes no sense to uproot families present in the United States for decades; Congress must act to preserve our national values in support of family and community.”

“The United States has yet again turned its back on its promise to provide refuge for those who face violence and persecution in their home countries," said Oscar Chacón, NHLA Board Member and Executive Director of Alianza Americas. “We double-down on our calls to Congress to act on the legislative proposals that have been introduced in recent months, bills that would create a pathway to permanent residency for long-time TPS holders who have invested decades of their lives in contribution to communities across the United States.”

“This decision by the Trump Administration is more evidence of their deep disdain for immigrants of color and their contributions to this country. It will not only have a terrible impact on hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans and their families but also the communities where they live, work, worship and study. If Congress does not act quickly to protect the more than 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants who have just become walking non-entities, we could witness one of the largest mass deportations in our country’s history, harming our economy and further damaging our reputation in Latin America and across the world,” said José Calderón, NHLA Immigration Committee Co-Chair and President of the Hispanic Federation.

“If forced to return to El Salvador, current TPS holders, who have become integral and contributing members of our communities for nearly two decades, would likely face grave danger and high levels of violence and insecurity in El Salvador,” said Patricia Tototzintle, CEO of Casa de Esperanza. “We call upon Congress to enact a permanent legislative solution for current TPS holders rather than risk pushing over a quarter of a million individuals back into the shadows, vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, and undermining the health and well-being of families and communities.”

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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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