February 24, 2017 - Latino Leaders Condemn Immigration Guidelines Signed By Secretary of DHS

LATINO LEADERS CONDEMN IMMIGRATION GUIDELINES SIGNED BY SECRETARY OF DHS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 40 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, condemns the guidelines signed by John Kelly, the Secretary of Homeland Security, aimed at increasing the number of immigration enforcement agents, the speed of deportation, the use of local law enforcement for arrests, and widening the category of immigrants for removal. These measures further signal the Trump administration’s attack on immigrants and their families. They also fly in the face of the NHLA’s Latino public policy priorities focused on upholding immigration laws that respect the dignity of the individual and reflect our nation’s commitment to human and civil rights.

Immigration laws should be enforced at the federal level and the increased use of local law enforcement, particularly through the continued use of 287(g) agreements, contradicts such federal enforcement. Furthermore, the recent administrative measures fail to consider the overwhelming, negative impact that these new policies will have on our country, not to mention immigrants and their families. These implementation memos are another example of a vague, poorly thought out policy proposal that fails to take into consideration the wide-ranging implications of the mere announcement of these plans, let alone of any attempts to enforce them.

“NHLA strongly condemns the guidelines released by DHS. To develop such drastic measures is a direct attack on the Latino community, communities of color, and the well-being of our entire nation. We must continue to fight against policies that consistently and intentionally contradict the priorities of the Latino community and of the United States as a whole. These actions do not represent who we are as a country,” said Hector Sanchez, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

“If there were any doubts that the Trump Administration would pursue immigration policies that are punitive, cruel, and uncompassionate, they were dissipated this week when DHS released these new guidelines that will strike fear in immigrant communities throughout the United States. These documents are a blueprint for indiscriminate arrests, detentions, and deportations of hardworking immigrant families. In short, they are a stunning violation of our deepest values as a nation of immigrants, and we must resist them by any means necessary,” stated Jose Calderon, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Immigration Committee and President of the Hispanic Federation.

“The Administration’s immigration enforcement guidance is cruel, counterproductive and costly. The undocumented immigrant farmworkers laboring on our farms and ranches are benefiting the businesses who employ them, the economy, and everyone who consumes food. These extremist policies appeal to fear and anger. The country needs sensible, responsible, fair approaches to fix our broken immigration system, including a path to immigration status for undocumented immigrants who contribute to our nation,” said Bruce Goldstein, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Economic Empowerment and Labor Committee and President of Farmworker Justice.

"Despite repeated reassurances that the Trump administration would prioritize going after gang members and other violent criminals, this DHS action does no such thing. Instead, it opens the floodgates to terrorizing millions of people in this country—citizens and noncitizens alike—to combat a nonexistent immigrant crime wave. We will do everything in our power to protect and defend our community in the face of this unconscionable assault on our civil rights,” said Janet Murguía, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Economic Empowerment and Labor Committee and President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza.

“In this new administration, anti-immigrant sentiment has become a rallying point which has encouraged policies that criminalize immigrant communities, and place women and families in imminent danger. Make no mistake, the guidelines signed by Kelly are an attempt to terrorize, target, and demonize immigrant families across all communities and do nothing to address our broken immigration system. Instead, they endanger the lives of immigrant women, while further limiting their ability to make decisions about their health, family and future. We will not sit idly by while the human rights of immigrant women and their families are trampled on,” said Jessica González-Rojas, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Latina Task Force and Health Committee and Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC LEADERSHIP AGENDA

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda is composed of 40 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.

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