Message from the President and CEO
Juntos, We are Beacons of Change
It hardly seems possible that I’ve had the honor of serving at the helm of UnidosUS for 20 years; it’s gone by so fast! When I joined this American institution, I could not have imagined the current political landscape of our country.
The current Administration and Congress have shattered our democratic norms with a tsunami of legislation and executive orders that have undone decades of economic and social progress. While I recognize that many communities are under attack, it feels like the Hispanic community is the focal point of the Trump Administration. A new Gallup poll shows that 64 percent of Americans acknowledge that Hispanics are experiencing more searches and detentions than other populations. Immigration detentions and arrests in our communities have skyrocketed. But, this is not just about immigration. Federal enforcement actions are racial profiling all Latinos, citizen and noncitizen alike. People are living in fear of their own government.
The Administration claims its aggressive and unlawful enforcement actions target violent criminals. Yet, while the number of detentions has risen by over 45% during the past six months, less than 10% of those detained have been convicted of violent offenses. The people who are disappearing have no criminal records; they are trying to go to work, check in at health care facilities, take their children to school, go to church, and show up for court appointments. The Administration wants to scare Latinos and diminish our presence in this country. We will not be erased. We will not sit silently and let our democracy slip away.
At Our Annual Conference in August I was deeply heartened to see many of you, our extraordinary donors, along with our Affiliate partners, Latino advocates and community allies, in my hometown, Kansas City. I was uplifted by our attendees’ strength and courage to come together to find ways to protect, defend, and advance our community. This year’s conference theme, Beacons of Change, spotlighted issues that our Affiliates identified as most important in this moment: community safety, crisis-ready leadership, civic action and economic mobility.
Watch highlights from our annual conference including my keynote speech at unidosus.org/conference/
As we continue our efforts to uphold and defend the gains we’ve made, at UnidosUS, we are also advancing an economic prosperity agenda that will move our community, and our entire country, forward. (You can read more about this in the In Your Community section of this newsletter.)
I am especially grateful to you, our steadfast donors. Your support is crucial, especially in these difficult times. With you by our side, we’ll continue to fight for the change we need and for the America we want to see. Together, we can be the beacons of change that light the way forward.
Adelante, siempre, adelante,
Janet Murguía
President and CEO
