LULAC HOLDS LANDMARK MEETING WITH DHS SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS IN WASHINGTON, DC TO ADDRESS IMMIGRATION-RELATED ISSUES AND EXPLORE SOLUTIONS
March 08, 2023
Contact: David Cruz - (818) 689-9991
davidcruz@lulac.org
Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Proposes Actions to Improve Border Safety and Security, Increase Legal Migration, and Add Refugees Into the Workforce
Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) met with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Wednesday at the organization’s 2023 Legislative Conference attended by members and stakeholders from throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. See www.lulac.org/live
“Today’s meeting was very productive and gave LULAC a voice on one of the most pressing immigration-related issues our organization is working on across the nation and Puerto Rico,” says Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President. LULAC presented Secretary Mayorkas with a four-point proposal that included:
- LULAC Supports President Biden’s Immigration Policies: The announced policies intend to slow the surge of asylum-seekers at the border. These policies will save lives by eliminating the dangerous crowding at the border that creates conditions for human smugglers and cartel elements. We need a legal and orderly process to enter the country and our immigration system.
- Slow the Influx at the Border: LULAC asks the Administration to implement a three to six-month moratorium from accepting new asylum applications. This pause will slow the influx and crowding at the border, giving border communities time to breathe. At the same time, LULAC can be a partner in helping to educate communities about the new orderly application processes. The message: It’s safer for border communities and safer for those wishing to apply for asylum.
- LULAC Will be An Ally in Finding Solutions: We propose working with the Administration to help solve the border crisis and mass migration. This support includes convening a summit at the border and engaging business and civil rights leaders. Also, leaders from the countries migrants are fleeing and members of the Administration. We know we can find solutions by gathering leaders from non-partisan or bi-partisan spectrums. LULAC can be the convener of this summit to explore solutions.
- Assist Deported Veterans: LULAC wants to honor those who have served. We are working with the VA as they are willing to provide services to those veterans. We request that DHS provide an avenue for those deported veterans to get medical treatments. We did this in the past with COVID vaccinations. We can do it with medical care if DHS allows.
LULAC pointed to another area in 2023 where immigration reform is needed. The request involves relief for 830,000 DACA recipients who have lived in limbo for over a decade. “It is difficult to overstate how significant these matters are to our country’s present and future economic outlook,” said Garcia. “These problems did not happen overnight, nor can the solutions come in one fell swoop. However, we must continue to be intentional and unwavering in our advocacy for change because millions of people’s lives are at stake,” added Garcia.
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