Jun 3, 2014 - NHLA DENOUNCES THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO POSTPONE DEPORTATION RELIEF REVIEW

PRESS RELEASE
June 3, 2014

Washington, DC— The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 37 of the nation’s preeminent Latino organizations, expressed strong frustration and disappointment with President Barack Obama's decision to postpone the review of the Department of Homeland Security’s Deportation Polices until the end of summer. Delaying the release of the Department of Homeland Security’s recommendations to ease deportations will continue to disproportionately harm the Latino community. The President’s decision could lead to the separation of nearly 97,000 more immigrant families between now and Labor Day.

NHLA has taken a clear position against President Obama’s devastating enforcement only polices. Last month, NHLA released a report on deportations showing that 97 percent of all deportations (356,303 people) in 2013 were of Latino descent. Even more troublesome, between 2010 and 2012, more than 200,000 families with U.S. citizen children were deported.

"President Obama’s decision to delay action is simply unacceptable. We cannot wait another day while Latinos bear the negative consequences of the House of Representatives’ inaction on immigration reform and this administration’s deportations policy. Enough is enough,” said Hector E. Sanchez, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of LCLAA. “Our coalition has been urging the President to take courageous and bold leadership on deportations, not halt the review process that could provide relief for families. The Latino community has been clear that any delay on Executive Action is not the path forward. More deportations means the current broken immigration system will negatively impact more lives, increase poverty and instability in the Latino community, and break families apart.”

"Under our government system, there is no inconsistency between the Executive branch implementing effective and consistent prosecutorial discretion while the Legislative branch works to craft a long term solution to our current dysfunctional and inhumane immigration regulatory regime," stated Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel of MALDEF and co-chair of the NHLA immigration subcommittee. "We can and should expect all branches of government to perform quickly and effectively in the face of a crisis, such as the ongoing community and family harm wrought daily by deportations that are inconsistent with national values and interests."

NHLA will continue to mobilize our community all over the nation to press Congress to act. While we wait for a permanent legislative solution, we strongly urge President Obama, who has the authority to halt deportations by using various forms of prosecutorial discretion, to expand affirmative relief. There is a way to rectify the current inhumane deportation practices that is disproportionately impacting Latinos.

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