Civil Rights, Housing, and Voting Rights

Washington, DC – On May 17th, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) joined CNN's Brianna Keilar to discuss the bipartisan discharge petition that would force a long-overdue vote on the House Floor to protect America's Dreamers and President Trump's recent comments on immigrants and immigration. Below are excerpts from the interview and a link to the video is here:

"These are real processes. We're serious about getting a vote and a debate, and we're serious about winning this issue.

Washington, D.C. –Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) and U.S. Representative Brendan Boyle (PA-13) led a letter signed by 11 Members of Congress to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Thomas D. Homan expressing serious concerns about reports that show the Philadelphia Field ICE Office arrests more immigrants lacking criminal convictions than any other ICE regional office.

"Mass arrests of immigrants with deep ties to our communities waste taxpayer resources and only serves to instill fear among families and communities," the Members wrote to Acting Director Homan.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement after the House voted to pass S.J. Res 57, which would repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's 2013 Indirect Auto Lending Guidance:

"For five years this guidance has protected consumers of color from discriminatory lending practices, but today's misguided decision will leave these communities vulnerable to unfair interest rate markups and set a dangerous deregulatory precedent aimed at rolling back consumer protections.

"Data shows that discrimination in auto lending continues to be a very real problem for communities of color.

Washington D.C. — Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement on Cinco de Mayo:

"This American holiday represents more than just a single victory in battle. Today we honor the rich contributions made by Mexican-Americans to our nation's culture, society, and history and we recommit to the forward progress of the Hispanic community, whose culture, arts, heritage and history we celebrate."

"Since last year's Cinco De Mayo, the Trump Administration has continued its relentless attacks on Hispanic families. From going after DACA and TPS, to perpetuating irrational and harmful anti-immigration policies and rhetoric, this Administration's words and actions have made clear just how little regard they have for Hispanic Americans and immigrant families.

Washington, D.C. - Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), led by U.S. Representatives Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Luis Gutiérrez (IL-4) and CHC Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-1) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging him to scrap the Department of Justice's plan to impose quotas and case completion deadlines on federal immigration judges' performance evaluations.

"We strongly urge the Department to reconsider this shortsighted plan that will undermine due process and adversely impact our nation's immigration court system," the Members wrote to Attorney General Sessions. "This proposal will likely worsen, not improve, the immigration court backlog of 685,000 current pending cases by resulting in protracted litigation through the appeals process," the Members continued.

Washington, D.C. - Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), part of the Department of Justice (DOJ), will continue the Legal Orientation Program (LOP) while the department conducts a review of the program, rather than suspend it as planned:

"Attorney General Sessions' announcement that he would not halt the Legal Orientation Program (LOP) is a step in the right direction. The LOP not only provides critical and even life-saving information to immigrants about their rights, it also saves taxpayers millions of dollars by improving the efficiency of our immigration court system.

Washington D.C.— Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), led by Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions seeking an immediate reversal of his decision to suspend the Legal Orientation Program (LOP) and the Immigration Court HelpDesk (ICH). Both programs have been shown to save taxpayer dollars and improve efficiencies in the court system.

"While you have made statements, and issued memorandums calling on immigration courts to run more effectively and alleviate immigration court backlogs, suspending the LOP Program is in diametric opposition to this desired outcome," the Members wrote.

Washington D.C. — Today, the U.S. Senate voted 50-47 to confirm the nomination of Kyle Duncan to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement strongly opposing Kyle Duncan's confirmation:

"Kyle Duncan's career and judicial body of work does not meet the standard to merit a nomination, confirmation or lifetime appointment to our federal bench. His decisions and public record demonstrate a disregard for impartiality. Most alarmingly, Duncan's legal career was built undermining the rights of immigrants, minorities, women and LGBTQ Americans. It is clear that Mr. Duncan espouses the same extreme political views as President Trump.