Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting Rights

The Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting Rights Task Force works to protect the civil rights, housing and voting rights of the Latino community. The task force oversees issues such as the Voting Rights Act, hate crimes, and housing fairness.

Members:
Rep. José Serrano, Co-Chair
Rep. Norma Torres, Co-Chair
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard

More on Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting Rights

Tri-Caucus Chairs Statement On Amazon Rekognition
July 27, 2018
Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus – composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus – released the following joint statement in response to a test of Amazon's facial recognition platform that misidentified 28 members of Congress, a disproportionate number of whom were people of color, as people who have been arrested for a crime.

Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsDiversity and Inclusion
Tri-Caucus Chairs Oppose Republican Appropriations Proposal to Fund Border Wall and Mass Deportation Force
July 26, 2018
Press Release

Washington D.C. – Today, the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations is marking up the Homeland Security Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2019, which includes provisions to fund $5 billion for Donald Trump's border wall, and also provides funding for 400 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and an unprecedented number of immigration detention beds. Ahead of the mark up, the Congressional Tri-Caucus Chairs – composed of Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Judy Chu (CA-27), and Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Cedric Richmond (LA-02) – sent letters to House Appropriations Committee Members urging appropriators to reject the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda.

Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border Issues
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Sends Letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions Requesting Meeting to Discuss “zero-tolerance” Immigration Policy
July 25, 2018
Press Release

WASHINGTON—Today, Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus led by Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) sent a letter requesting a meeting with Department of Justice Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the "zero-tolerance" immigration policy that seeks to prosecute all immigrants who cross the border.

Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border Issues
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair on President Trump’s Nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court
July 10, 2018
Press Release
Washington, DC – Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement in reaction to President Trump's nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court:
"President Trump's nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh would be a serious setback for equity and justice in our nation and would deeply harm immigrants and communities of color. Kavanagh's judicial record, including his D.C. Circuit decision to limit a young undocumented woman's right to choose, demonstrates that he would lend strong support to Trump's anti-immigrant agenda.
"In the months ahead, the Supreme Court will decide the constitutionality and legality of President Trump's many cruel and reckless immigration policies.
Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border IssuesDiversity and Inclusion
CHC Chair on GOP Immigration Bills and Trump Executive Order
June 21, 2018
Press Release
Washington, DC – Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement in reaction to Trump and Republican efforts to detain asylum-seeking families indefinitely.
"President Trump's executive order is a continuation of the intentions underpinning Speaker Ryan's anti-immigration bill, which are to deter legal immigration by punishing those lawfully seeking asylum and expand the mass incarceration of immigrant families indefinitely.
"After weeks of denying that he could not stop children from being ripped from their parents, President Trump was forced by public pressure to face his own cruel policy of family separation.
Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border Issues
mlg on bloomberg
CHC Chair Lujan Grisham Discusses Family Separation with Bloomberg
June 21, 2018
Press Release
Washington, DC – On June 20th, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) joined Bloomberg's Julia Chatterley and Julie Hyman to discuss President Trump's family separation policy and House Republican immigration bills..
Click here to watch a video of her remarks.
On President Trump's Executive Order:
"I really appreciate the pressure by so many in this country and around the world to highlight that this has been an abhorrent, immoral practice to separate children from their mothers and fathers. Two, it's clear that the President misled the American people about what he was required to do.
Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border Issues
mlg on Dream Act MTR
CHC Chair Lujan Grisham Offers Amendment to Protect Dreamers
June 21, 2018
Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairwoman Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered the following remarks in opposition to the anti-immigrant Goodlatte bill, H.R. 4760, "Securing America's Future Act," as part of a Motion to Recommit (MTR).
If adopted, the Democratic MTR would provide a permanent legislative fix for Dreamers by replacing the hyper-partisan Goodlatte bill with the strongly bipartisan Dream Act. If brought to the floor, the DREAM Act would swiftly pass on a bipartisan basis. The amendment was not adopted on a party-line vote.
Click here to watch a video of her remarks.
"This is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee.
Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border Issues
mlg at 6th anniversary DACA announcement
CHC Chair Remarks at Press Conference with House Democrats, Tri-Caucus Members, and Dreamers to Commemorate 6th Anniversary of DACA Announcement
June 15, 2018
Press Release
Washington, D.C. - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) joined House Democratic Leadership; members of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus; and Dreamers for a press conference this morning to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border IssuesEducation and VeteransDiversity and InclusionEconomic Development and Workforce
CHC Opposes GOP Anti-Immigrant Bill
June 14, 2018
Press Release
Washington, DC – The Congressional Hispanic Caucus urges the House to oppose the ‘‘Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018'':
This bill would hold Dreamer protections hostage for Trump's purely political and wasteful $25 billion border wall. It would further militarize the border and make devastating changes to the Flores Agreement, which would legislate the policies that are currently separating families at the border by making it more difficult for asylum seekers to legally claim asylum, and make it easier to deport children and jail asylum seekers indefinitely.
Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border IssuesDiversity and InclusionEconomic Development and Workforce
CHC Chair & Organizations Condemn Trump Administration Barring Asylum for Most Victims of Domestic & Gang Violence
June 12, 2018
Press Release
Washington, DC – Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) and several advocacy organizations released the following statements in reaction to the Trump Administration's decision to bar asylum to most victims of domestic abuse and gang violence.
"The horrific announcement by the Trump Administration deprives some of the most vulnerable victims of domestic and gang violence from seeking protections from beatings, rape and even death. It is shameful that the most powerful nation on earth has chosen to turn its back on these desperate victims.
Issues:Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting RightsImmigration and Border Issues