All Press Releases

America Votes announced today the addition of two national organizations to their historic coalition of progressive groups. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Campaign for America’s Future (CAF) have joined America Votes' 32-member strong coalition.

LULAC filed a lawsuit challenging the Texas legislature’s redistricting plan, which was spearheaded by former House Majority Leader Tom Delay, on the grounds that it violated the Voting Rights Act of the Latino community in Texas.

The future of nearly four million U.S. citizens who reside on the island of Puerto Rico hangs in the balance as Congress prepares to vote on the U.S.-Puerto Rico Political Status Act.

One hundred years ago, Puerto Rico became a part of the United States in settlement of the Spanish-American War. Nineteen years later, the United States granted U.S. citizenship to the Island's inhabitants. Using its authority under the "territorial" clause of the U.S. Constitution, Congress over time has extended a measure of local self-rule to the American citizens of Puerto Rico. The current structure of local government, commonly known as "Commonwealth" was enacted in 1952.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Derechos Humanos Coalition/Arizona Border Rights Project are convening a border summit, "From Border to Border: Building a Human Rights Movement," this weekend, December 8-10. The Summit will bring together over 350 participants to address the growing human rights crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border and discuss three inter-related themes: globalization, immigration and the subsequent militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Derechos Humanos Coalition/Arizona Border Rights Project are convening a border summit, The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) today urged Congress to include the three provisions that are the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act (LIFA) in the final version of the Commerce, Justice and State Appropriations Bill. LIFA would successfully stabilize the immigration status of up to 800,000 immigrants who have been living, working, paying taxes and raising families in the United States for many years.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) today urges the U.S. Senate to pass the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act - S.2912 (LIFA). This legislation would positively impact the lives of over 350,000 people and begin to correct the negative impact of immigration legislation passed in 1986 and 1996.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) today urges the U.S. Senate to pass the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act - S.2912 (LIFA). This legislation would positively impact the lives of over 350,000 people and begin to correct the negative impact of immigration legislation passed in 1986 and 1996.

As you might know, ARCA (Association for Residency and Citizenship of America) was formed by members of the class action suits CSS v. Reno and Newman (LULAC) v. INS when they met in Washington, D.C. in May of this year.

October 7, 1998, LULAC Executive Director Brent Wilkes hosted a press conference on the House Triangle where members of Congress and other national Hispanic organizations came together in a joint call for justice. Thousands of immigrants have been awaiting the resolution of their residency status since the were improperly prevented from legalizing it more than a decade ago. Although the INS long ago admitted that they had illegally turned away qualified applicants under the 1986-87 amnesty program, they have refused to offer a remedy to those affected and have contested a collection of class action lawsuits designed to force them to process the applications.

On Tuesday, November 10, over a hundred members of the "Late Amnesty" class will begin a nationwide fast in attempt to gain the attention of the White House and the Department of Justice over an issue that has remained unresolved for almost a decade.

LULAC National President Rick Dovalina is calling for all LULAC members and other advocates from across the United States to converge on Washington, DC Wednesday to press the Clinton administration to process the applications of thousands of immigrants who had been improperly prevented from legalizing their status more than a decade ago. Although the INS long ago admitted that they had illegally turned away qualified applicants under the 1986-87 amnesty program, they have refused to offer a remedy to those affected and have contested a collection of class action lawsuits designed to force them to process the applications.

Speech introduction by Brent Wilkes: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. My name is Brent Wilkes and I am the National Executive Director of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens. LULAC is the largest and oldest membership-based civil rights organization for Hispanics in the United States.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. My name is Rick Dovalina and I am President of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens. LULAC is the oldest and largest membership based civil rights organization for Hispanics in the United States.

In letters made public today, leaders of a national coalition of six leading U.S. Hispanic organizations urged Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and Energy and Resources Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) to move the U.S.-Puerto Rico Status Act (S.472) to the Senate Floor for a vote before the August recess. S.472 and a companion bill, H.R. 856, which passed the House on March 4, 1998, would authorize a referendum allowing the 3.8 million American citizens of Puerto Rico to choose among three status options: statehood, independence, or commonwealth.

In what may be the first major bipartisan poll of registered Hispanic voters in major markets nationwide, Hispanics in the United States reveal strong optimism about their futures and by a newly 2 to 1 margin express confidence that the country is on the right track.

We are writing to urge you to take prompt action on S. 472, a bill which would provide self-determination for Puerto Rico. The 3.8 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico have waited 100 years for the opportunity to determine their permanent political status. We do not think that they should be denied their full civil rights any longer.

The Hispanic Coalition for Puerto Rican Self-Determination, a broad-based association of national Hispanic organizations, today called upon the Senate Republican Leadership to move forward without delay to adopt legislation extending the right of self-determination to the 3.8 million United States citizens of Puerto Rico.