National Latino Organizations Applaud Business Community Support for Immediate Bipartisan Legislative Action to Protect DREAMers
More than 800 companies and business leaders signed onto a FWD.us led letter last week, including more than a dozen corporate supporters of NALEO and NALEO Educational Fund
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and NALEO Educational Fund today expressed their appreciation to the more than 800 companies and businesses who signed on to last week's letter calling for bipartisan legislation to protect the nation's DREAMers.
The letter was organized by FWD.us following President Trump's move to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program earlier this month, which provided more than 800,000 young immigrants who came to the country as children with the opportunity to study, work and live their lives free of fear.
"We applaud the hundreds of business leaders who signed on to the letter and publicly called for a bipartisan legislative solution that will allow young immigrants who are contributing to the success of this nation to stay in the only country they have ever known as home," stated Pauline Medrano, NALEO President and Dallas County Treasurer. "The Latino community and our constituency of the more than 6,100 Latino elected and appointed officials nationwide appreciates the deep commitment demonstrated by these corporate leaders as we continue to move forward and push for a permanent solution to protect our nation's DREAMers."
Several NALEO and NALEO Educational Fund supporters are among the 800 corporations and businesses whose leaders signed onto the letter, including AT&T, Edison International, Google, Herbalife Nutrition, Intuit, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Starbucks Coffee Company, Target, The Coca Cola Company, Univision Communications Inc., WalMart and Wells Fargo.
"The fact that the leaders of more than 800 companies from a diverse array of sectors and geographic areas came together to call for a permanent legislative fix is a testament to how much our nation's DREAMers have ingrained themselves in the economic and social fabric of this country," stated John Duran, NALEO Educational Fund Chair and City of West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem. "Providing young immigrants who are currently serving in the military, working in Fortune 500 companies and furthering their education at top universities with the opportunity to continue to stay out of the shadows and help our nation thrive is not the only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do."
As lawful members of the nation's workforce, DACA recipients have contributed to their communities, earned higher wages, generated millions of dollars in increased tax revenue, and boosted economic growth. According to the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, the 1.3 million young undocumented immigrants enrolled or eligible for DACA contribute more than $2 billion a year in state and local taxes.
DACA recipients whose permits are set to expire between now and March 5, 2018 have until October 5, 2017 to renew their applications one last time before the program ends next year. An estimated 150,000 individuals are eligible to apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for one final renewal.
Those filing renewal applications before October 5, 2017 are encouraged to call the NALEO Educational Fund toll-free bilingual support hotline (844-411 DACA or 844-411-3222)* for referrals to local workshops, clinics, resources and support. A new partnership with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Association of Pro Bono Counsel (APBCo) announced this week will also connect individuals calling the hotline to volunteer attorneys who can provide free assistance and critical information on the renewal process.
*The NALEO Educational Fund 844-411-DACA (844-411-3222) national bilingual toll-free hotline is in operation Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. PT.
About NALEO
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials is the non-partisan leadership organization of the nation's more than 6,100 Latino elected and appointed officials.
About NALEO Educational Fund
NALEO Educational Fund is the nation's leading non-profit, non-partisan organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service. For more information about NALEO Educational Fund please visit www.naleo.org.
Contact: Amanda Bosquez, [email protected]
(202) 546-2536, (361) 548-6989 (cell)
Paula Valle Castañon, [email protected]
(213) 747-7606 ext. 4414, (323) 253-6431 (cell)
SOURCE NALEO; NALEO Educational Fund
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