August 28, 2017
LATINO LEADERS CALL FOR UNITY AND AGGRESSIVE COLLECTIVE ENGAGEMENT TO PUSH BACK ON TRUMP'S ATTEMPTS TO TRAMPLE CIVIL RIGHTS
Pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio is the latest action by this administration showing disdain for the issues that affect minority communities the most
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of the nation's 45 preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, announced that Hispanic Heritage Month will be a month of action to push back against continued racist, anti-Latino and anti-immigrant actions by the Trump administration, the most recent of which was the Presidential pardon granted to former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to attempt to enforce immigration law and detaining immigrants without the proper authority to do so.
This Saturday, NHLA members will join forces with communities across Texas in a powerful Unity March Against Hate and White Supremacy. Texas is ground zero in the fight against Trump's extremist agenda: passage of SB4, the attacks on DACA, and unprecedented expansion of 287g deportation contracts. Enough is enough. When those in the White House and Texas state government are openly exploiting fear and enabling white supremacists, we must all do our part to defend inclusion and equality. On September 2nd, we will join an important call to action, sending a unified message against hate ahead of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“On the eve of a natural disaster, and at a time when the nation needs to pull together to help our fellow brothers and sisters in need, President Trump instead took a divisive action by pardoning former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a man who abused his power as a law enforcement official to target, harass, and demean Latinos simply for being Latino, on the pretext that they might be undocumented immigrants. The President’s action sends a dangerous signal that racially-motivated abuse of power is acceptable. As leaders of national Latino organizations, we say loud and clear that it is not acceptable,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. “As we approach the start of Hispanic Heritage Month — a time when we typically celebrate the contributions of our community to the social, cultural, and economic life of this nation — we are not in a mood to celebrate. Instead, this will be a month of action. We'll march in the streets, we’ll register voters, we'll deepen our alliances with other communities also targeted by the Trump administration. President Trump, and those who continue to give him political support, need to know that we will stand up for our community and make our voices heard, from the streets to the ballot box to the board rooms. They need to know that there will be a price to pay for advancing discrimination.”
"With his pre-sentencing pardon of an unrepentant Joe Arpaio, Donald Trump publicly lauded and approved of Arpaio's conduct -- defying federal court orders and regularly engaging in unconstitutional racial discrimination," said Thomas A. Saenz, NHLA Vice Chair and MALDEF President and General Counsel. "However, no one should interpret this despicable pardon as licensing discrimination; the Latino community will challenge legally and politically any and all racial profiling and any and all unconstitutional enforcement of federal immigration law by local police forces."
“The president’s pardon of the nativist and former Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, is both a slap in the face to the thousands of Latinos who were racially profiled in Arizona and an unbridled rejection of the role of our federal courts to curb unconstitutional behavior,” said Juan Cartagena, Co-Chair of NHLA's Civil Rights Committee and President and General Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “The president of the United States has engaged in tyranny. Since entering the White House, he has repeatedly shown disdain for the judiciary, blasting the courts that ruled against his illegal Muslim ban. He has now signaled his willingness to circumvent the constitutional checks on unbridled executive power.”
“The pardon of Joe Arpaio sends the wrong message to law enforcement officials around the country: encouraging them to engage in racial profiling, disregard constitutional protections, and hold judicial orders in contempt. It is also well documented that while Sheriff Arpaio diverted resources to unlawfully persecute immigrants and the Latino community, his office failed to properly investigate hundreds of cases of rape and sexual assault in the community,” said Patricia Tototzintle, CEO of Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network. “The President’s actions to excuse and celebrate his conduct have significantly undermined public safety and the rule of law and must loudly be denounced.”
"Farmworker Justice condemns President Trump's pardon of Arpaio because it is a blatant attack on the constitutional rights of Latinos and immigrants and a dangerous encouragement of lawless action that intentionally harms people of color and immigrants and promotes white supremacy. Trump's actions and statements directly affect farmworker families. The large majority of farmworkers — the people who produce our food — are ethnic and racial minorities and immigrants,” said Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice.
“The pardon of Joe Arpaio makes it painfully obvious that President Trump embraces the actions and worldview that have come to define the former Maricopa County sheriff: racial profiling, a focus on criminalizing immigrants and a disdain for the rule of law. As such, it is unsurprising that in less than eight months President Trump has fomented a campaign of racial and ethnic divisiveness that has no equal in the last half century of American political life. We call on Americans of good faith and a sense of social justice to join NHLA and its network of national Latino organizations in emphatically condemning this cowardly and unmerited pardon,” said José Calderón, Co-Chair of NHLA's Immigration Committee and President of Hispanic Federation.
“We strongly believe that the presidential power to pardon should be used judiciously, and with regard to the checks and balances set forth in our Constitution, and more importantly, to the constitutional rights of the citizens of this country,” said HNBA National President Pedro J. Torres-Díaz. “Yet President Trump’s expedited pardon effectively condones Sheriff Arpaio’s illegal conduct, undermines the court’s authority to redress violations of constitutional rights, and weakens the public’s faith in our legal and judicial system. In pardoning Sheriff Arpaio, President Trump failed to demonstrate the restraint that the circumstances and events around the country warranted.”
“As a law enforcement officer, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was in the ultimate position of trust with the community he swore to protect. Unfortunately, for the Latino community, Arpaio consistently violated that trust, making a career out of criminalizing hard working people. Arpaio is an anti-immigrant racist and while his conviction was a vindication to many, his pardon was a blow to the rule of law and to the vulnerable communities whose rights he willfully violated. Another vulnerable population at risk under this administration are the young DACA recipients. We are concerned that the immediate termination of DACA will deny over 800,000 young people from participating in the American dream and result in their deportation to countries they have never known. Such action is not only bad public policy but contrary to everything this country stands for," said Brent Wilkes, NHLA Treasurer and National Executive Director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
“Trump has never hidden his contempt for the Latino and immigrant communities. It is deeply shameful that Trump chose to issue his pardon of a known racist, Arpaio, and deliver a direct attack on our communities, while a hurricane was striking Texas, and while people with DACA await their fate. By taking this action, Trump has sealed his political fate and that of those who follow him with the Latino and immigrant communities,” said Ben Monterroso, Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota.
“Trump's pardon of Joe Arpaio is a continuation of the culture war on the Latino community. We will continue to resist and defend our communities from these assaults,” said Maria Lopez De Leon, President & CEO of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC).
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Executive Director Arturo Vargas said, “A pardon for Arpaio is an endorsement of racism from the highest office in the land—signaling to Americans that discriminatory behavior and a blatant disregard for the judicial process is acceptable. This kind of act is an extraordinary intervention in our justice system that threatens the public’s faith in law enforcement and the rule of law.”
Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director for the National Day Laborer & Organizing Network (NDLON) stated, "The extremists in the White House and in Texas have made their intentions clear -- to exploit fear, to enable white supremacists, and to go after the most vulnerable among us. Today there are no excuses to stay home. We call on people of all backgrounds to raise your voices and join the unity march on September 2nd."
Kenneth Romero-Cruz, Executive Director of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) and Co-Chair of NHLA's Government Accountability Task Force, said, "Pardoning former Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, undermines the rule of law and sends the wrong message to law enforcement officers who should enforce the law and not racially profile law-abiding taxpayers. Instead of providing amnesty to a convicted criminal who jailed innocent Latinos and other minorities without legal authority, the President should promote policies to heal the racial and ethnic tensions that have been made worse by hate mongers like Arpaio and other racists. This pardon is also an affront to the judiciary and the separation of powers because it sends the message that unconstitutional acts and disrespect for court orders can go on without fear of punishment. NHCSL condemns this pardon and urges President Trump to reconsider his actions and rhetoric on the sensitive issue of racially motivated violence, profiling and persecution."
“We strongly condemn the actions of President Trump in pardoning former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has done irreparable harm to the immigrant community. Arpaio’s inhumane and unlawful policies have targeted, criminalized, and endangered Latino and immigrant communities in Arizona. His racial profiling policies and white supremacist rhetoric are indefensible. By refusing to hold Arpaio accountable for blatant human rights violations, President Trump has chosen to endorse hate, violence, and bigotry. This shameful disregard for the lives of our communities will not go unnoticed,” said Ann Marie Benitez, senior director of government relations of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) and Co-Chair of the NHLA Latina Task Force and the Health Committee.
Matt Nelson, Executive Director of Presente.org, stated: "White Supremacy has no place in government. By pardoning his bigoted, violent, criminally racist crony, former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, President Trump has further earned his label as White Supremacist-in-Chief. Arpaio and Trump’s support of Nazi rule is in sharp contrast with our core values of dignity, justice, and human rights. Millions within the Latinx diaspora have been under assault by the hatred and violence that these two men embody. Trump's pardon of Arpaio should be a wake-up call to anyone who still supports the administration, and we urge leaders in business, media, and government to disavow this act and the hateful, white supremacist patterns and practices of the Trump administration.”
“It is hard to imagine anyone less worthy of a pardon than Joe Arpaio, someone who engaged in systematic racial profiling and intimidation. It is a disgrace that the president is choosing to use the power of his office to protect Arpaio, rather than to protect DACA youth, who have done what America has asked of them. These actions show this administration is more concerned with assaulting immigrants and Latinos, that with upholding the rule of law. The Latino community stands united against this assault, because as the vast majority of Americans, we understand that our nation is stronger when we work together. We will do our part, defending our community, putting pressure on Congress to act, and continuing to grow our voice in the political process to hold accountable those who seek to weaken the fabric of our country,” said Clarissa Martinez De Castro, UnidosUS Deputy Vice President.
“Americans took a double-whammy on August 25, as one hurricane, Harvey, struck the Gulf Coast and a second hurricane, Trump, struck and rattled the nation from coast-to-coast. Harvey, a natural disaster, struck with the force of a Category 4 hurricane causing unimaginable human suffering. Understandably Harvey captured the nation’s attention as media coverage saturated the airwaves. Hurricane Trump received considerably less media coverage despite the fact that its long-term damage to the nation’s economy and irreparable devastation of working-class families will take generations to heal. Hurricane Harvey took hours to mount the force necessary to become a Category 4 before making landfall. Trump did it in one word – PARDON. It’s a well-documented fact that Trump is an incorrigible liar, but what is very apparent is that he is also the Sympathizer-in-Chief who supports and encourages Neo-Nazism, racism, intolerance, divisiveness and bigotry. He has to be stopped,” said Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr., President of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute.
“By sidestepping the traditional channels of presidential pardons by not going through the Department of Justice, Trump disregarded protocol by overextending his executive powers to return a political favor to an early supporter of his Presidential campaign,” said Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino. “This pardon sends a dangerous signal that government officials can disregard the courts and break the law as long as they share the president's views. Pardoning Arpaio late Friday afternoon, during a state of emergency due to Hurricane Harvey is beneath the office of the presidency. These actions will not be forgotten by fellow Americans who care deeply about fairness, justice and equality.”
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