December 21, 2017

LATINO LEADERS: NO GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL WITHOUT DACA FIX
Coalition calls on Congress to reach agreement on protecting Dreamers before adjourning

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 45 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, reiterated its call on Congress to reach an agreement on protecting Dreamers before passing a short-term stopgap government funding bill and adjourning for the remainder of the year.

President Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program earlier this year has upended the lives of nearly 800,000 Dreamers--undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children--who had enrolled in the program. In a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, NHLA’s Immigration Committee co-chairs expressed the coalition’s support for the bipartisan Dream Act as the best option for protecting immigrant youth and DACA holders from deportation and providing them with conditional permanent resident status and a path to naturalization.

“Members of Congress must do their job and provide a solution for the thousands of young people who depend on congressional action for their livelihoods. Congress has had months to consider various proposals to fix the problem that President Trump created. There are no more excuses for delay. Congress must pass the Dream Act now,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

“Despite Donald Trump’s suggestion that Congress could take six months to act after his precipitous and uninformed decision to end DACA, the truth is that each day’s delay in congressional action puts more young immigrants at risk,” said Thomas A. Saenz, NHLA Vice Chair and MALDEF President and General Counsel. “The federal government cannot implement a DREAM Act in a day; there must be sufficient lead time to protect as many young immigrants as possible from losing their jobs and risking deportation.”

“This is a moment of truth for our Congress and our nation. Are we truly willing to jeopardize the lives of our children because our representatives are more interested in enriching the ultra-rich than protecting the future of our country? No Dream, No CHIP, No Deal!” said Jose Calderon, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Immigration Committee and President of Hispanic Federation.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
| Michael Torra | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (202) 425-0582 |
| Brenda Arredondo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (915) 373-1483 |

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.

NHLA MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS:
Alianza Americas | American G.I. Forum | ASPIRA Association | Avance Inc. | Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network | Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute | Farmworker Justice | GreenLatinos | Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities | Hispanic Federation | Hispanic National Bar Association | Inter-University Program for Latino Research | Labor Council for Latin American Advancement | Latino Justice PRLDEF | League of United Latin American Citizens | MANA, A National Latina Organization | Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund | Mi Familia Vota | National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures | National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives | National Association of Hispanic Publications | National Day Laborer Organizing Network | NALEO Educational Fund | National Association of Latino Independent Producers | National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. | 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/o Psychological Association | National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health | Presente.org | SER Jobs for Progress National | Southwest Voter Registration Education Project | UnidosUS | United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | United States Hispanic Leadership Institute | United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce | U.S.- Mexico Foundation | Voto Latino