PRESS RELEASE
September 5, 2014

HISPANIC LEADERS CALL FOR GREATER INCLUSIVITY IN PRESIDENT’S IMMIGRATION DELIBERATIONS
Coalition of 39 Latino organizations join boycott of immigration meetings with President that exclude undocumented

Washington, D.C. -- In its continued efforts around its Latinos United for Immigration Reform campaign, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 39 of the nation's preeminent Latino organizations, strongly encourages the President to listen to the perspectives of the Latino and undocumented community as he considers policy options on immigration matters.

With 97 percent of the deportation population being Latino, the impact of separations due to the Administration’s deportation policy is hitting Latino families particularly hard.

Underscoring NHLA’s commitment to an inclusive approach, the coalition decided at its quarterly board meeting last month to formally endorse the national boycott of meetings with the President on immigration matters if they do not include representatives of undocumented immigrants. Accordingly, NHLA will make every effort to include undocumented representatives in any meeting it has with President Obama on immigration matters. If the White House will not meet with undocumented immigrants, then NHLA members will decline to meet with the President.

“NHLA stands with the hundreds of thousands of families that need President Obama to take swift action on deportation relief. Any delay of affirmative relief, as some have urged on the President, should not be contemplated before consulting directly with members of the Latino and undocumented communities as they would be the ones most seriously and irrevocably harmed," said Hector Sanchez, NHLA Chair and Executive Director, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

Last month the President announced that, in the face of congressional intransigence, he would exercise his executive authority to fix our broken immigration system. Since then, the Administration has met with various stakeholders to discuss strategies to improve the nation's immigration system through executive action. The boycott joined by NHLA demands that the Administration include members of the undocumented community, who bear the brunt of the Administration's ongoing deportation practices, in these discussions to improve our nation’s immigration system.

“We join the growing chorus calling for President Obama to meet directly with the undocumented community,” stated Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel of MALDEF and co-chair of the NHLA Immigration Committee. “His leadership and the wisdom of his policy response on this issue will only be enhanced by taking this step.”

“President Obama has the authority and the moral obligation to bring needed relief to immigrant communities who are contributing to our economy and producing goods and services that American citizens utilize every day,” stated LULAC National Executive Director and NHLA Vice Chair Brent Wilkes. “NHLA is proud to support the request by these communities to have a seat at the table with the President as he decides what actions to take to address our dysfunctional immigration laws.”

NHLA has never been invited to meet with the President even though the coalition comprises 39 of the most important national Latino civil rights groups. The Latino community is central to many of the most critical national policy issues, including the dire necessity of reforming immigration policies and practices. Based on this experience, NHLA believes that, in endorsing the boycott, it brings a unique, shared understanding of the impact of the President’s apparent reticence to meet with groups most directly affected by important policies.

NHLA will continue to urge the President to meet with members of the undocumented immigrant community and to craft immediate, robust, and inclusive affirmative relief for the nation’s long-term undocumented population.

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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. In 2013, NHLA launched the Latinos United for Immigration Reform campaign. For more information, please visit www.nationalhispanicleadership.org and LatinosUnited.org and follow @NHLAgenda.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

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