NATIONAL LATINO ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON CONGRESS TO VOTE DOWN FINAL PASSAGE OF SENATE IMMIGRATION REFORM MEASURE;

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Michael Bustamante, 916.425.0839

June 6, 2007




NATIONAL LATINO ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON CONGRESS TO VOTE
DOWN FINAL PASSAGE OF SENATE IMMIGRATION REFORM
MEASURE;

Fatally Flawed Legislation Neither Humane, Fair Nor
Practical

Los Angeles, CA - National Latino organizations today
released a letter to a number of United States
Senators calling on them to reject final passage of
the so-called immigration reform measure (S1348),
unless the bill, as currently written, is
substantially amended. At the same time, the
organizations call upon the Senators to vote no on
cloture, a parliamentarian maneuver to close debate on
the legislation and cause an immediate vote to be
taken on the measure.

"We come to these conclusions, " states the letter to
Senators, "after much debate, analysis and soul
searching. It is our belief that the current reform
proposal being offered - unless otherwise amended -
hurst the cause of working families while cruelly
raising hopes. Collectively, our organizations
represent millions of latino workers, voters, and
immigrants. We ask for a NO vote on cloture and final
passage."

The letter, which was sent today, was addressed to
fifteen Senators including Senators Feingold, Obama,
Clinton, Hagel, Biden, Dodd, Durbin, Dorgan, Menendez,
Bingaman, Reid, Brown, Wyden, Sanders, and Boxer. The
letter was signed by the heads of the Labor Council
for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the League of
United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National
Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities
(NALACC), the Mexican American Political Association
(MAPA), Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana and the
William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI).

"We support amendments to S1348.and urge you to join
in totally recrafting S1348. In the event that the
Senate is unable to address our profound concerns with
S1348 as now drafted, we urge you to vote against its
final passage," concluded the letter.

[A copy of the full text of the letter to Senators
follows:]

The undersigned Latino organizations call for a "NO"
vote on cloture on S1348, as well as "NO" on final
passage.

We come to these conclusions after much debate,
analysis and soul searching. It is our belief that the
current reform proposal being offered - unless
otherwise amended - hurts the cause of working
families while cruelly raising their hopes.
Collectively, our organizations represent millions of
Latino voters, workers, and immigrants. We ask for a
"NO" vote on cloture and final passage because of your
reputation as a thoughtful Senator with a history of
positive relations with our community. We know you
will consider our urgent message.

We are convinced that S1348 (as currently written)
represents a gigantic step backward not only for
immigrants, but for all Americans.

We are aware of pressure to act to "reform" America 's
broken immigration system. We appreciate that issues
of national security are in question. However, we also
know that the "reform" proposed through S1348 worsens,
rather than improves the situation for immigrants and
America . S1348 neither fixes our broken system, nor
secures our country, nor ensures an effective
workforce for economic growth, nor provides justice
for immigrants.

In particular,

· S1348 would not effectively legalize the ten
to twelve million undocumented in America . It's
morass of confusing, burdensome and expensive
triggers, eligibility requirements, and costs would
preclude the vast majority of undocumented persons
from applying and/or navigating/enduring the onerous
wait for adjustment of status.

· S1348 is anti-family, will divide hundreds of
thousands of families with an untested point system,
and is biased against the vast majority of immigrants
from Latin America and the Caribbean . It would
preclude immigrants from reuniting with legal
immigrants and U.S. citizens, either causing family
separation or more likely substantially increasing the
undocumented population.

· S1348 would create an apartheid-like caste
system for guest workers and Z-visa workers in which
they can work and pay taxes, but will not possess
legal rights and constitutional protections, and will
have no effective path to adjustment and/or
citizenship.

· S1348 would criminalize future undocumented
persons, militarize the U.S. Mexico border with little
consideration for the vulnerable northern border and
the maritime ports, seriously damage U.S.
relationships with immigrant-sending countries, and
enable unlimited detention of immigrants. It would
drive undocumented persons further underground.

We have consulted with our constituencies on S1348 and
have heard their clear and overwhelming rejection of
these poison-pill provisions.

If S1348 were enacted into law as currently written,
Congress would codify an "apartheid" society with a
de-facto permanently excluded (and ever expanding)
caste of overwhelmingly non-white (particularly
non-white Latin American and Caribbean ) workers. Our
democracy would be ill served by such an arrangement.
America 's most cherished values of justice, equality,
fairness, and opportunity would be forever diminished.

We support amendments to S1348 to remedy the
above-mentioned flaws. We see these amendments as a
unified package, and urge you to join in totally
recrafting S1348. We oppose cloture at this point in
time and ask your active opposition. Once again, in
the event that the Senate is unable to address our
profound concerns with S1348 as now drafted, we urge
you to vote against its final passage.


Sincerely,

Gabriela Lemus,
Executive Director, Labor Council for Latin American
Advancement
Washington, DC

Rosa Rosales,
National President, League of United Latin American
Citizens
San Antonio, TX

Angela Sanbrano,
President, National Alliance of Latin American and
Caribbean Communities
Los Angeles, CA

Nativo Lopez
State/National President, Mexican-American Political
Association
& National Director, Hermandad Mexicana
Latinoamericana
Los Angeles , CA

Antonio Gonzalez
President, William C. Velasquez Institute
Los Angeles, CA