August 18, 2017 - Bannon Removal from White House Staff Necessary First Step But Trump Must Fire All with Ties to White Supremacist and Extremist Groups

BANNON REMOVAL FROM WHITE HOUSE STAFF NECESSARY FIRST STEP BUT TRUMP MUST FIRE ALL WITH TIES TO WHITE SUPREMACIST AND EXTREMIST GROUPS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Leadership from the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 45 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, issued the following statement after news reports that President Donald Trump has fired Stephen Bannon:

“Today’s news that Stephen Bannon will no longer serve in the Trump administration is necessary, but it will not excuse the perpetuation of racism and bigotry by the president and his other White House staff. There is no place for white supremacy in our government. We renew our call to the president that he also immediately removes Sebastian Gorka, Stephen Miller, and all White House staff with ties to white supremacist and extremist groups. The Latino community is holding our leaders accountable and looking toward the next election. We will not back down,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

“Steve Bannon embodied the xenophobic character of this administration and the racist campaign it ran for the past two years,” said Juan Cartagena, Co-Chair of NHLA's Civil Rights Committee and President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “Bannon might have left the administration but there are still many disturbing voices in the White House. His departure should be the beginning of a purge of the remaining administration staff who have also advanced such hateful and odious rhetoric and policies.”

“Having recently ‘mooched’ himself in the press, Bannon goes the way of Flynn, Priebus, Spicer, and Scaramucci himself; the result may be satisfying, but it lacks real substance unless his removal is publicly attributed to his completely unacceptable and repugnant white nationalist views,” said Thomas A. Saenz, NHLA Vice Chair and MALDEF President and General Counsel. “In addition, Bannon’s removal does nothing to address the very troubling contradictions in Trump policies, including the Muslim ban and demonization of all Latino immigrants on one hand, and Trump’s belief that some white nationalists are ‘very fine’ people on the other.”

"Given the events of this past week, it is not surprising to see Steve Bannon fired, and while necessary, it is not enough. We urge the administration to denounce all white supremacist and Neo-Nazi groups and continue to cut ties with them and their supporters. We have no room for domestic terrorists and would hope they are denounced for their actions," said Maria Teresa Kumar, member of NHLA's Civil Rights Committee and President and CEO of Voto Latino.

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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.