LULAC Calls House Victory A Dream Come True For Millions
Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Welcomes Passage of Immigration Bill; Looks to Senate Now
Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) today issued the following statement after the house voted 228-197 to pass the Dream and Promise Act, which if approved by the Senate, would create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and others.
Domingo Garcia - LULAC National President
“This is a big day in the lives of millions of Dreamers and others who wake up every day never knowing if this will be the one when they are taken away for being brought here as children or fleeing violence in the home country. They deserve better and we can do more. I call upon lawmakers to do the right thing, once and for all.”
Sindy Benavides - LULAC National Executive Officer
“This is landmark legislation that will also allow those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to apply for citizenship. The pathway would be for people from countries from around the world. Whether they fled civil unrest, violence, natural disasters all the way back from the 1990’s to people who left Venezuela, based upon the decision announced by President Biden just this month. Immigrant families may finally have relief from fear of deportation. In all, we are speaking of 4.5 million men and women. LULAC thanks President Biden as well as Democrats and Republicans in the House who are seeking a way forward together in a humanitarian effort.”
Lydia Guzman - LULAC Immigration Committee Chair, Special Advisor to the President
“We urge the U.S. Senate to work in a bipartisan manner and to move with deliberate urgency to address a situation that has been delayed for far too long. The fact that we are moving in an incremental fashion is to encourage all parties to address their specific concerns across the total immigration agenda, one step at a time. We may not have this opportunity again for a long time when there is both a pressing need and the reality that immigrants are the lifeblood of our nation. These two imperatives ought to compel all of us to listen, dialogue and seek solutions as opposed to retreat to the past entrenched positions that have prevented progress. LULAC is hopeful that we can help facilitate this type of cooperation.”
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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/