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Dear {{ user.first_name|default:”Friend” }},
We’re done with empty political speeches. After his cynical and politically calculated move to delay executive action — yet again — until after the midterm elections, the President is now slated to speak at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ Hispanic Heritage Month awards gala on Thursday to ‘repair relations’ with the Latino community.1
The President’s scheduled appearance comes on the heels of the Hispanic Caucus letting him get away with delaying a decision on deportations past Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, our community continues to suffer. We deserve better.
After more than two million deportations, more than 1,000 deportations per day and climbing with each passing day,2 and traumatic midnight raids that have torn families apart and put children in detention centers alone,3 the President knows that our community is angry.
That’s why Presente members will be there, picketing the event with our friends at the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. The President and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus need to know that one simple political appearance is not going to mend anything. We need real courage and executive action for undocumented immigrants.
Will you join us on today October 2, 6:00 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center?
Here are the details:
What: Picket at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ annual awards dinner
When: Today October 2, 6:00 p.m. EDT.
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Pl NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20001 (Mt. Vernon Metro, green/yellow line)
Who: Presente.org, NDLON, and YOU
By attending, we’ll send a strong message that our community can’t be bought off with just another political speech.
It’s bad enough that earlier this month the Congressional Hispanic Caucus backed away from demanding that President Obama make a decision on executive relief for undocumented immigrants by Thanksgiving.4 But to pretend that making even more empty promises at an awards dinner to supposedly celebrate Hispanic Heritage month is somehow okay with our community is just beyond tone deaf.
Thanks, and ¡Adelante!
Arturo, Refugio, Mariana, and the rest of the Presente.org Team
P.S. Can you donate $5 to support our work? We rely on contributions from people like you to see campaigns like this through.
Sources:
1. After immigration punt, Obama to make his case to Hispanic Caucus, The Hill, September 24, 2014
2. Obama is deporting more immigrants than any president in history: explained, Vox, April 9, 2014
3. The Traumatic Effects of Forced Deportation on Families, Psychology Today, May 18, 2013
4. Hispanic Caucus Backs Off Thanksgiving Deadline on Immigration, The Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2014