Latino Civil Rights Leaders Press U.S. Congress for Immigration Accountability Reforms

on

Coalition warns indiscriminate raids are separating families, sweeping up U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, traumatizing children and harming the economy.

Washington, DC — UnidosUS, joined by 7 leading civil rights and advocacy organizations, today sent a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging adoption of critical amendments to restore accountability in immigration enforcement in the upcoming Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bills. The letter urges the Senate Appropriations Committee to include these amendments in its forthcoming bill and urges both the chambers to ensure these reforms are preserved in any final conference agreement. These amendments are designed to restore accountability, protect families and ensure immigration enforcement upholds constitutional rights and due process.

“The civil rights community is deeply alarmed and concerned that the Trump administration’s escalation of mass deportation is not only tearing families apart and weakening the economy but is undermining the basic rights of everyone in this country,” said UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía. “Relying on racial profiling and indiscriminate raids, while targeting entire communities has already resulted in the wrongful detention of U.S. citizens and lawful residents. Congress must act now to ensure taxpayer dollars are used to uphold the Constitution, not to fund unlawful raids and military-style operations in our communities.”

The letter highlights the devastating community impact of indiscriminate mass deportations, including:

  • Family separation and trauma inflicted on U.S.-citizen children and lawful permanent residents.
  • Economic harm to small businesses and local economies when workers are swept up in raids.
  • Erosion of trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement, which undermines public safety.

Public Opinion Supports These Reforms

Recent polling shows that a majority of Americans believe President Trump has gone too far with deportations, and roughly eight in ten Hispanic voters support focusing enforcement on people who commit serious crimes — not on long-residing immigrants without criminal records. “These amendments are not just the right thing to do constitutionally — they reflect what the public wants,” the letter notes adding “Congress should respond to this clear mandate.”

The letter also notes that “Polling consistently shows Latino voters — and majorities across parties — want solutions that protect families and create a path to citizenship for those who have built their lives here.”

Specific Amendments Requested

UnidosUS and its partners are calling for Congress to condition DHS appropriations on the adoption of amendments that would:

  • Protect citizens from abuse by reforming qualified immunity to allow lawful residents and U.S. citizens to seek damages.
  • Prevent the deportation of children without parental consent and require reporting.
  • Codify sensitive locations protections for schools, places of worship and medical facilities.
  • Ban mask use by federal agents (except undercover work) and require body cameras with public access to footage.
  • Safeguard personal privacy by banning the use of administrative data (tax, health, nutrition) for immigration enforcement.
  • Prohibit the use of Department of Defense resources — including troops, bases and equipment — for immigration enforcement.
  • Strengthen oversight and transparency of 287(g) agreements, ICE recruitment and training, and DHS contracting.
  • Guarantee due process, access to counsel and meaningful phone access for detained individuals.
  • Allow deferred action for humanitarian cases or those awaiting visa availability.
  • Guarantee congressional oversight access to detention facilities and restore the strength of DHS oversight bodies.

We urge the Senate to take the lead in adopting these amendments, and both chambers to ensure they are preserved in conference. By conditioning appropriations on these reforms, Congress can uphold the Constitution, safeguard families and restore accountability to our immigration system.

The letter emphasizes that these reforms would not prevent the removal of individuals who commit serious crimes or pose security threats — which the organizations support — but are designed to ensure that enforcement practices uphold constitutional rights and due process which is essential to maintaining trust and safety among all communities.

The coalition’s signatories include 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.

“Anti-Latino rhetoric has been weaponized into dangerous policies that target our communities, strip away rights and undermine the very fabric of our democracy. From unlawful military deployments to invasive surveillance and discriminatory enforcement, these abuses have created a climate of fear that no family should have to endure. Accountability is not optional — it is long overdue. Congress has both the responsibility and the opportunity to put an end to these practices, uphold due process and protect the dignity of every family who calls this nation home. Supporting these amendments is not just about safeguarding Latinos — it is about reaffirming the bedrock American values of justice, equality and democracy that must protect us all,” said Sindy M. Benavides, executive director of Aquí: The Accountability Movement.  

“Our democracy is meaningless if our branches of government don’t stand up for the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. For months, the Trump administration has misused government funds for a misguided mass deportation machine that has trampled the rights of Latinos across the country, including U.S citizens. These undemocratic actions are causing irreparable harm to our communities, economy and democracy. Congress must act now to restore accountability, due process and oversight, using its constitutional power to protect the rights of millions of Latinos, and among them, 32 million voters who are expressing deep concerns about the status quo,” said Katharine Pichardo, president and CEO of Latino Victory Project.

“For generations, Americans have upheld a clear principle: we do not use our armed forces to police our own people. Yet this administration has done exactly that, sending troops into our neighborhoods to assist with immigration raids — an unlawful overreach that flies in the face of a 19th-century law barring the military from acting as domestic police. Such militarization of immigration enforcement shatters public trust and traumatizes law-abiding families, all while doing nothing to make us safer. The U.S. military’s duty is to defend our nation, not patrol our streets or round up our neighbors, and LULAC will not stand by as any administration tramples on that bedrock principle,” said Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

“Our communities deserve solutions that keep families together and safe — not militarized raids and policies that sow fear and division. Congress must uphold policies that respect our rights, strengthen our democracy and protect due process. This means accountability and oversight in immigration enforcement, and rejecting the misuse of resources that terrorize our communities rather than protect them,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota.

 ###