Nov 7, 2014 - NATIONAL LATINO ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON SENATE LEADER AND CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS TO PRESS PRESIDENT FOR IMMEDIATE EXECUTIVE ACTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 7, 2014

NATIONAL LATINO ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON SENATE LEADER AND CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS TO PRESS PRESIDENT FOR IMMEDIATE EXECUTIVE ACTION

With conclusion of mid-term elections, there is no excuse for delaying action to stop deportations that are tearing apart families and communities

Washington, DC -- The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 39 of the nation's preeminent Latino organizations, is calling on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and its natural allies in Congress – the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) – to weigh in strongly with President Barack Obama on the need for affirmative relief from deportation to as broad a range of undocumented immigrants as possible.

Senator Reid, traditionally a strong pro-immigrant voice in Congress, and the CHC did not oppose the president’s decision to delay executive action until after the mid-term elections, much to the disappointment of NHLA and, as Election Day opinion polling has underscored, the Latino electorate.

Now that the mid-term elections have passed, NHLA is calling on these leaders to exercise their influence and moral authority to call for an end to deportations that continue to tear families and communities apart at an average rate of 1,100 deportations every day.

In letters sent earlier this week, to Senator Reid on Monday and the CHC on Wednesday, NHLA urges them to demand that President Obama immediately suspend the deportations of those eligible for relief under the Senate-passed immigration bill (S. 744), and implement as soon as possible an administrative relief program that is broad and far-reaching. NHLA urged the president directly to take such action in a letter sent to the White House on Monday.

For the full text of NHLA's letter to Senator Reid, click here or copy and paste this web address into your browser: http://nationalhispanicleadership.org/headlines/11-03-14_NHLA_Letter_-_Affirmative_Relief_Delay_-_Senate.pdf

For the full text of NHLA's letter to the CHC, click here or copy and paste this web address into your browser: http://nationalhispanicleadership.org/headlines/10-05-14_NHLA_Letter_-_Affirmative_Relief_Delay_-_CHC_Final.pdf

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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:

| Carmen Orozco-Acosta | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (512) 787-6508 | | Brenda Arredondo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (915) 373-1483 |