History of the CHC

Formation of the CHC

"The fact that we have joined together is a sign of the growing power of our community, and we are looking forward to strengthening the Federal commitment to Hispanic citizens."

– Caucus Statement, 1976

Founded in 1976, the CHC was organized by five Hispanic Members of Congress:

• Herman Badillo (NY)
• Baltasar Corrada del Río (PR)
• Eligio "Kika" de la Garza II (TX)
• Henry B. González (TX)
• Edward R. Roybal (CA)

These Members envisioned an organization that would allow the Hispanic community to effectively engage with legislative, judicial, and executive actions to ensure that the priorities of Latinos were not ignored. The founders of the CHC stated that the CHC's goal would be "to develop programs…to increase opportunities for Hispanics to participate in and contribute to the American political system" and to "reverse the national pattern of neglect, exclusion and indifference suffered for decades by Spanish-speaking citizens of the United States".

The CHC's Evolution Over the Years

Carter Administration

After its initial creation, the CHC rallied its members and resources to push the Carter administration in 1978 to increase the number of Hispanics in leadership positions within the federal government. Additionally, the Caucus helped preserve bilingual education programs, improve voting rights, and secure favorable committee positions for its members.

Reagan Administration

During the Reagan administration, the CHC rose to prominence as a source of opposition to Reagan's immigration policy and attitudes towards Central and South American countries like Nicaragua and El Salvador. This period saw enormous increases in the CHC's influence as Chairs Robert Garcia and Bill Richardson mobilized to maximize their impact on the national agenda by taking full advantage of committee positions and media exposure. 

Clinton Administration

The CHC continued its work to promote Hispanic interests throughout the Clinton administration. Clinton would regularly consult the Caucus on legislation, and partner with them in countering Republican initiatives. With the addition of 3 new members during the 105^th Congress and the rise of Robert Menendez and Ed Pastor in Democratic leadership, the Caucus grew stronger. 

George W. Bush Administration

President Bush met with the Caucus to discuss issues relating to immigration, small businesses, education, welfare programs, and affirmative action. In 2007, the Bush administration and CHC members discussed changes to the immigration system, but those changes did not occur as a result of deadlock in the 109^th and 110^th Congresses.

Obama Administration

In 2009 and 2013, President Obama met with the CHC to discuss important topics, including immigration. These meetings indicated that the Obama administration and the CHC shared the same set of principles and recognized the importance of immigration reform. On June 15, 2012, Obama announced DACA to serve as a stopgap measure to shield eligible immigrant youth from deportation. In 2016, the White House and CHC clashed because of a series of immigration raids ahead of the State of Union. CHC Members and more than 130 House Democrats urged the administration to suspend the raids. 

The Trump Administration

Throughout the Trump Administration, the CHC fought tirelessly to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, advocate for permanent protections for Dreamers, and bring attention to human rights violations unfolding at the border. In September 2017, the Trump Administration ended DACA. In efforts to engage in dialogue around immigration, Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grishham showed up uninvited to the immigration summit with Trump and other congressional leaders in January 2018. She was able to stay for the meeting. To shed light on the injustices occurring at the border and to push for migrants to be treated with dignity and respect, CHC members passed the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act and the Homeland Security Improvement Act in the House. Additionally, the CHC called attention to family separation and the Zero Tolerance Policy and advocated to end the "Remain in Mexico" policy which forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their applications for U.S. protections were processed.

The Biden Administration

President Biden and Vice-President Harris met with CHC Leadership in April 2021 to discuss immigration reform, healthcare, vaccine equity, and Biden's infrastructure and jobs plan. During this meeting, the President also expressed the Administration's commitment to Latino representation. Following a meeting earlier in the year where CHC Members discussed student loan forgiveness and emphasized the need for moratorium on student loan repayment in 2022, the Biden Administration canceled up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 or households earning less than $250,000; up to $20,000 for Pell grant recipients; and extended the student loan payment pause. In April 2022, seven CHC Leaders urged Biden to designate and re-designate Temporary Protected Status for several Latin American, Central American, and Caribbean countries. They also pushed for Biden to end Title 42, extend DACA, and expedite processing with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 

Former Chairs

1978–1981: Edward R. Roybal (CA-25) (D)

1981–1984: Robert García (NY-21) (D)

1984–1985: Bill Richardson (NM-3) (D)

1985–1986: Matthew Martinez (CA-30) (D)

1986–1987: Esteban Torres (CA-34) (D)

1987–1988: Albert G. Bustamante (TX-23) (D)

1988–1989: Jaime B. Fuster (PR-AL) (D)

1989–1991: Kika de la Garza (TX-15) (D)

1991–1993: Solomon Ortiz (TX-27) (D)

1993–1995: José Serrano (NY-16) (D)

1995–1997: Ed Pastor (AZ-04) (D)

1997–1999: Xavier Becerra (CA-31) (D) 1999–2001: Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) (D)

2001–2003: Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) (D)

2003–2005: Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23) (D)

2005–2007: Grace Napolitano (CA-38) (D)

2007–2009: Joe Baca (CA-43) (D)

2009–2011: Nydia Velázquez (NY-12) (D)

2011–2013: Charles Gonzalez (TX-20) (D)

2013–2015: Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) (D)

2015–2017: Linda Sánchez (CA-38) (D)

2017–2019: Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) (D)

2019–2021: Joaquin Castro (TX-20) (D)

2021–2023: Raul Ruiz (CA-36) (D)

2023--2025: Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) (D)

2025-Present: Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) (D)