PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
May 8, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On behalf of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 34 pre-eminent Hispanic organizations in the United States, Hector Sanchez, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, issued the following statement as the Senate Judiciary Committee begins its mark up of bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform legislation today.

“Latinos across the country will be watching closely as the Senate begins the process of amending immigration reform in committee today. Republicans and Democrats have courageously crossed the partisan divide to come together in crafting this proposal. Now is not the time to let the hard work they have begun be undone by hundreds of amendments, many of which are intended to scale back or derail this critical legislation. NHLA will vigorously oppose any efforts to remove the heart of this legislation -- a framework that will allow the 11 million undocumented immigrants in our nation to earn legal status and then citizenship and recognizes the unique situation of our DREAMers and agricultural workers.

“Our advocacy in the halls of Congress and town halls across the nation will continue in order to ensure that the bipartisan bill under consideration remains consistent with our fundamental principles: earned legalization and a path to citizenship for hardworking undocumented immigrants and their families; promoting economic growth by creating workable legal immigration channels aligned to the needs of our economy while upholding labor protections; preserving family unity and reducing family backlogs; and, restoring the rule of law through smart enforcement that prevents discrimination and respects due process.

“The committee process also provides an opportunity to improve the bill. NHLA and its member organizations will support various amendments, such as those that would remove punitive restrictions that currently keep DREAMers from accessing support to enroll in college and to sit for professional licensing exams.

“We are making our position on key amendments known to Senators and in the coming months, NHLA will issue a scorecard that will grade Senators on their immigration reform record so that Hispanic voters have a clear picture of where their elected officials stand.

“We urge Senators on the Judiciary Committee to proceed in good faith and without undue delay so that this bill moves through the legislative process and Congress can promptly pass fair immigration reform this summer.”

Earlier this year, NHLA launched Latinos United for Immigration Reform, a grassroots mobilization campaign which includes an online platform at LatinosUnited.org for the public to engage Members of Congress, over 60 town halls across the nation – of which 40 have already been held, phone banks, and dozens of meetings with congressional offices. All these efforts combined are expected to generate over 100,000 pro-immigration reform contacts directed at Congress.

Established in 1991, The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) brings together Hispanic 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 and follow @NHLAgenda.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
| Melody Gonzales | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (202) 508-6917 |
| Brenda Arredondo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (915) 373-1483 |

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American GI Forum | ASPIRA Association, Inc. | Casa de Esperanza | Cuban American National Council | Farmworkers Justice | Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities | Hispanic Federation | Hispanic National Bar Association | Labor Council for Latin American Advancement | Latino Justice PRLDEF | League of United Latin American Citizens | MANA, A National Latina Organization | Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund | NALEO Educational Fund | National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives | National Association of Hispanic Publications | National Association of Latino Independent Producers | National Conference of Puerto Rican Women | National Council of La Raza | National Hispana Leadership Institute | 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 Institute for Reproductive Health | National Puerto Rican Coalition, Inc. | SER – Jobs for Progress National, Inc. | Southwest Voter Registration Education Project | United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce | U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute