A coalition of eight Latino civil rights organizations on Thursday urged the U.S. Congress in a letter to protect migrant families and ensure that immigration laws respect the Constitution, preventing abuses by immigration agents.
“The civil rights community is deeply alarmed and concerned that the Trump Administration’s escalation of mass deportations is not only separating families and weakening the economy, but also undermining the fundamental rights of everyone in this country,” UnidosUS President Janet Murguía stated in the letter.
The letter is addressed to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees just days before the U.S. government funding bill expires on September 30, which could lead to a partial shutdown of the Administration.
The coalition therefore urged that both committees call “for the adoption of crucial amendments to restore accountability in immigration enforcement in the upcoming Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bills.”
This department is responsible for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is behind raids against migrants across the country.
Amendments called for to curb raids
Among the suggested amendments, the letter mentioned the need to protect citizens from abuse, prevent the deportation of children or establish specific protections for “sensitive locations” such as schools, places of worship or medical centers.
In addition, he called for banning the use of masks by federal agents and requiring them to wear body cameras with images that are publicly accessible, prohibiting the use of administrative data for raids, strengthening transparency in ICE recruitment agreements, or guaranteeing access by members of Congress to migrant detention centers, among other issues.
According to the coalition, “indiscriminate mass deportations” have a profound impact on U.S. society, separating families, harming small businesses whose workers are arrested, and eroding trust between migrants and local authorities.
“Anti-Latino rhetoric has become a weapon to create dangerous policies that attack our communities, disenfranchise and undermine the very essence of our democracy,” mentioned the coalition, which in addition to UnidosUS is composed of Aquí: The Accountability Movement, Hispanic Federation, Latino Victory Project, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Mi Familia Vota and United Farm Workers, Agencia EFE reported.
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