2026 UnidosUS Capital Awards Recognizes Senator Alex Padilla’s Leadership and Presents Public Service Award to Center for Taxpayer Rights and Democracy Forward

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At premier Latino gathering in Washington, Latino leaders deliver a call to defend civil rights

WASHINGTON, DC — Last night, UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, hosted its annual Capital Awards ceremony at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C. At a defining moment for the U.S. Hispanic community, the ceremony brought together over 450 distinguished guests — including members of Congress such as Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Luz Rivas (D-CA), policymakers, civil rights leaders, philanthropic partners and executives — to honor leaders and organizations whose work protects and advances the Latino community.

The evening capped a momentous day for the organization, following the UnidosUS Prosperity Forward Convening, where the nonprofit released its Economic Prosperity Agenda outlining key solutions to strengthen economic mobility and shared prosperity for the country.

“I’m so proud to recognize the incredible work of Senator Padilla, the Center for Taxpayers Rights, and Democracy Forward,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS.. “UnidosUS will continue to fight to end the Trump administration’s cruel mass deportation campaign, create a whole new system of immigration that represents our communities interests and values, and to ignite Latino economic prosperity.”

This year’s honorees were U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and two national organizations recognized jointly with the Public Service Award: the Center for Taxpayer Rights and Democracy Forward.

Sen. Padilla was recognized for his principled exercise of Congress’s oversight authority, holding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accountable for enforcement actions that have caused profound harm to immigrant families and Latino communities across our country. His sustained calls for transparency, adherence to the rule of law and recognition of the real human consequences of unchecked immigration enforcement have elevated the urgency of civil rights protections on the national stage.

“UnidosUS doesn’t just advocate for Latino communities — they build power, they build opportunity, and they are building the future,” said Sen. Padilla. “Receiving this recognition is especially meaningful to me as the first Latino to lead the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, where I’m fighting for accountability, fairness, and respect for our laws and Constitution in the face of Donald Trump’s cruel mass deportation campaign. As I said in my Spanish response to Donald Trump’s disgraceful State of the Union Address last week: ‘solo el pueblo salva al pueblo’ — only the people can save the people. When I look at the Latino community across this great country of ours, I don’t just see resilience; I see strength, I see power, and I’m honored to stand alongside UnidosUS in this fight for dignity over division.”

The 2026 Public Service Award was presented jointly to the Center for Taxpayer Rights and Democracy Forward for their collaborative legal efforts to protect the personal data of taxpayers and reinstate the firewall between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and immigration enforcement. Their work has been instrumental in safeguarding millions of Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) holders who were at risk of having sensitive financial information disclosed to immigration authorities, and in restoring a measure of trust in a tax system that millions of immigrant families depend on.

“The Center for Taxpayer Rights is honored to receive this recognition of our work protecting the rights of immigrant taxpayers. The support of UnidosUS is essential to the protection of the fundamental right of taxpayer privacy. The Center is grateful to UnidosUS for its leadership on this issue,” said Nina Olson, executive director, Center for Taxpayer Rights.

“The team at Democracy Forward is honored to receive this generous distinction, and even more grateful to be able to work closely with brave and dedicated clients like the Center for Taxpayer Rights and partners like UnidosUS who are willing to defend our democracy from the increasingly autocratic assault we are seeing from this administration,” said Maddy Gitomer, senior counsel for Democracy Forward. “Courtrooms are the frontline in this battle to defend people and communities from the unlawful executive actions we are seeing that are harming people across America. We will continue to use the law to build collective power and advance a bold, vibrant democracy for all people.”

The evening award ceremony was hosted by Erika Gonzalez, reporter at NBC4 Washington, and Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, vice president of programs & strategy at the Interfaith Alliance, provided the invocation. President and CEO of UnidosUS, Janet Murguía, delivered a keynote address with a forceful call to defend civil rights and reject what she described as a cruel and chaotic mass deportation campaign that is spreading fear through Latino communities and harming the nation’s economy.

UnidosUS also welcomed UnidosUS Affiliate leader Carolina Ortiz, associate executive director of COPAL in Minneapolis, who spoke on the realities facing community leaders on the frontlines of intensified immigration enforcement.  Drawing from developments in Minnesota and in cities across the country — including Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Raleigh and Memphis — Ortiz detailed the climate of fear and intimidation affecting families, the economic and mental health toll on communities, and the rise in lawful protests challenging the administration’s actions. She also spoke of the coordinated efforts underway to safeguard civil rights and protect residents — citizens and non-citizens alike — who are increasingly fearful of leaving their homes.

Full remarks from featured and guest speakers will also be available here.

The 2026 UnidosUS Capital Awards Presenting Sponsors were JPMorgan Chase & Co. and PepsiCo. Champion Sponsors were Amazon, Target and Verizon. American Airlines was the airline of choice.

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