Latino Organizations And Officials Gather To Send a Message to Trump Administration Amid Immigration Crackdown: 'Enough'

As the Trump administration continues its effort to crack down on immigration and slash government spending, a coalition of Latino leaders gathered outside Capitol Hill on Wednesday to map out their frustrations with the government's initiatives and outline next steps to address them. As the leaders spoke on different policies and proposals rolled out during Trump's first month in office, the message was clear: "ya basta!" (Enough!)

The press conference was organized by UnidosUS, the largest Latino advocacy organization in the country. It was attended by leading Hispanic organizations like Voto Latino, LULAC, Mi Familia Vota, and Hispanic lawmakers like Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Members of the coalition discussed some of President Trump's most controversial actions over his first month in office, including efforts to shut down Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts and cancelling key humanitarian programs like the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans.

"Ya basta!," the crowd chanted as the group of renowned leaders spoke, calling for the administration to halt what they described as an attack on working-class families across the country.

Among the speakers was Janet Murguia, president and CEO of UnidosUS. She pointed to reports that revealed Latino voters' prioritize pocketbook issues such as the cost of living and the economy, a need she said the Trump administration has not addressed so far.

"There's been a lot of speculation, some accurate and some misleading, about who or what Latino voters voted for last November," Murgia said. "What is not up for debate though is that these voters overwhelmingly voted for policies to support those who are struggling economically."

"Latino voters want to see inflation go down, they want to see prices go down, they want to be able to know they can make ends meet... The voters want the federal government to address the rising cost of living and the need for affordable housing and access to health... yet in the last month or so, there's not been any attempt to address these urgent issues," she continued.

Espaillat, the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House, followed Murgia's remarks, claiming that it is "cloudy and stormy in America" due to Trump's policies. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus pointed out that health risks could deepen for many if essential programs are slashed, including leading to a lack of affordability of insulin for diabetics.

"This is about life or death," Espaillat said.

The press conference took place hours after the House passed a budget resolution that could cut Medicaid, which provides health coverage to 72 million poor and disabled Americans. The Senate, however, is looking to avoid deep cuts to the program, with some members also insisting that they won't support a final measure that only extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts temporarily.

Murgia also suggested that UnidosUS would use "all of our resources" to challenge the administration in court because "a lot of their policies are not constitutional," though she did not point out which specific policies she was referring to or provide further details on those plans.

Suing the Trump administration would not be new territory for civil rights' organizations. Just this month, the American Civil Liberties Union and other immigrant rights' groups filed a lawsuit for access to immigrants transferred from the United States to detention at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. LULAC also filed a lawsuit against efforts to strip birthright citizenship.

"LULAC will continue to stand against any attempt to erode the rights of our communities," said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Chairman. "We will fight in every courtroom and every community to ensure that the promise of America— that anyone born here belongs here— remains intact for future generations."