Amid growing backlash to aggressive immigration enforcement and mass deportations, Members of Congress join Comité de 100 to unveil a new national effort backed by more than 250 prominent Hispanic figures, underscoring a rare show of unity as new bipartisan polling highlights Latino voter priorities with fewer than 40 days until the midterms.
From MAGA-aligned conservatives to congressional progressives, hundreds of Hispanic leaders call for an alternative to an enforcement-only approach: work permits and legal protections for long-term immigrants. Massey Villarreal, CEO of Precision Task Group, co-chair of Comité de 100 and a former chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, said, “I’m calling on President Trump to remove Stephen Miller,” warning that failure to change course could cost Republicans their majorities in Congress this November.
>>> Link to Press Conference Recording <<<
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some of the country’s most important Hispanic leaders across the political spectrum, from MAGA-aligned conservatives and evangelical leaders to progressive civil rights advocates and Democratic members of Congress, joined Comité de 100 on Tuesday to launch a national campaign calling on President Donald Trump and congressional leaders to provide work permits and legal protections for long-term undocumented immigrants.
The campaign centers on a new letter signed by more than 250 Hispanic business, faith, civil rights, community, nonprofit and elected leaders who rarely share the same political platform but are joining together around a common call for action for long-term immigrants who have lived, worked, paid taxes and contributed to their communities for years. During a virtual press conference, Representatives Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) joined leaders from Comité de 100, American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), LULAC, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), UnidosUS, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and America’s Voice, among other key organizations in the Hispanic community. Together, they are making a renewed push to deliver practical solutions for long-term immigrants, and highlighting new bipartisan polling showing strong support among Latino voters for work permits.
The polling, conducted by BSP Research and Shaw & Co. for ABIC Action and American Families United, found that 75% of Latino voters surveyed said they would be more likely to support a candidate who backs work permits for long-term undocumented immigrants who have been working and paying taxes in the United States. Sixty-three percent called the treatment of immigrants “one of my top issues.”
“We, the Hispanic voters, are fed up. As a longtime Republican, I’ve seen voters who supported President Trump and Republicans turn against this mass deportation agenda. We are losing our workforce because of these deportations, and there is simply no way we can sustain our economy without the long-term immigrants who have helped make our prosperity possible,” said Massey Villarreal, CEO of Precision Task Group; Co-chair of Comité de 100 and a former Chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA). “The polling makes clear that Latino voters reject the false choice between enforcing our laws and providing legal solutions. With 35 days until the election, I’m calling on President Trump to remove Stephen Miller and give the Republican Party a chance to maintain its edge. Otherwise, Stephen Miller will bear responsibility for Republicans losing their majority.”
“Congress must break the cycle of crisis, polarization and short-term political responses and deliver what the majority of Americans want: an immigration system with fair laws, effective enforcement and worthy of our values,” said Clarissa Martinez De Castro, vice president of the Latino Vote Initiative at UnidosUS. “A balanced approach includes the top immigration policy priority of Hispanic and non-Hispanic voters alike: legalization for long-residing undocumented immigrants. Action is long overdue, and the time is now.”
“We may be MAGA, we may be progressives, we may be somewhere in between,” the leaders wrote in the letter unveiled during Tuesday’s press conference. “We are all united in demanding that both Republicans and Democrats in Washington deliver solutions that allow long-term undocumented immigrants, many of whom have worked, paid taxes, and contributed to our communities, families and workplaces for decades, to live and work legally without fear.”
Among the more than 250 signatories are Janet Murguía of UnidosUS, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Ramiro Cavazos of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Roman Palomares of LULAC, Ana Valdez of the Latino Donor Collaborative, Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia and others.
“For far too long, Washington has debated immigration while millions of people who have lived, worked, paid taxes and raised families here for decades continue to live in uncertainty,” said Roman Palomares, president of LULAC. “We can protect our borders and enforce our laws while also recognizing the contributions of people who have built their lives in America. The American people deserve more than temporary fixes and political arguments, they deserve action.”
“We need to fix our immigration laws or our economy will not grow,” said Ramiro Cavazos, president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and co-chair, Comité de 100. “This is not a partisan issue, it is an economic imperative, and we need a pathway to citizenship for long-term immigrants who are already contributing to our businesses and communities. It is time to stop playing politics and take action.”
Members of Congress emphasized the need to move from debate to action and provide stability for long-term immigrants, their families, communities and employers, and highlighted many of the legislative fixes lawmakers in Washington could move on today.
“People who have spent years working, paying taxes, raising families and contributing to this country deserve stability, dignity and a fair chance to move forward,” said U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia (TX-29). “My American Dream and Promise Act would provide a pathway to citizenship for eligible Dreamers and permanent protections for eligible TPS holders, and we are just one signature away from forcing a vote. Enough is enough. There is still time to act, and the time is now.”
“The Dignity Act reflects the priorities we are hearing from communities across the country,” said U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar (TX-16). “It provides legal status for millions of long-term residents, keeps families together, expands legal pathways and reforms our border and asylum systems. We still have an opportunity to get this done in the lame duck period, and I would implore my colleagues to seize this moment and make real progress.”
Tuesday’s event also featured a briefing on new bipartisan polling conducted by BSP Research and Shaw & Co. for ABIC Action and American Families United. The poll found that Latino voters’ 2024 shift toward Republicans has largely been erased, with Democrats leading in six of the seven states surveyed. It also found that 63% of respondents called the treatment of immigrants “one of my top issues,” while 75% said they would be more likely to support a candidate who backs work permits for long-term undocumented immigrants who have been working and paying taxes in the United States.
“Across every state and virtually every demographic group we surveyed, Latino voters are telling elected officials the same thing: they want action on immigration,” said Matt Barreto, founder of BSP Research and professor at UCLA. “No matter how we asked the question, Latino voters overwhelmingly favored work permits, legal status and permanent solutions over indiscriminate deportation.”
Leaders from national Latino organizations discussed what the findings reveal about the priorities of Hispanic voters and the importance of delivering concrete policy solutions.
Faith and advocacy leaders highlighted the impact that continued uncertainty has on families and communities and called for policies that allow long-term immigrants to live and work legally without fear.
“Immigration is more than a policy issue. This is about families, churches and the people who make up our everyday communities,” said Pastor Tony Suarez, vice president and national spokesperson for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. “We support legal immigration and secure borders, but we also believe there must be a fair and compassionate way forward for hardworking families who have contributed to this country for years. We have waited long enough. The time to fix our broken immigration system is now.”
“We may not agree on everything, but we agree that long-term immigrants who have worked here for decades, paid taxes and raised American children deserve the right to work legally and live without fear,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice. “Mass deportations are spreading chaos and fear while hurting our workforce and raising costs for American families. The challenge is not a lack of policy solutions, it is a lack of political will, and Congress must act.”
“Latino elected officials see firsthand what happens when Washington fails to fix our broken immigration system: the fear in our communities, the economic consequences of inaction and the uncertainty facing families who have lived here for decades,” said Erica Bernal-Martinez, CEO of NALEO. “Today’s polling confirms that this is not a fringe issue, it is a defining one. Latino voters are watching, and they expect this administration and Congress to act now.”
“The Hispanic vote is won with respect,” the signatories conclude in the letter. “Respect for our community means fighting for and delivering these long-overdue protections for long-term immigrants. We need action now, from this administration and from leaders in Congress.”
Tuesday’s event marked the start of a national campaign featuring mobilizations with Latino leaders and organizations across the country during Hispanic Heritage Month and in the weeks leading up to the midterms. Speakers sent a clear message to both political parties: failing to act on the policy priorities of Latino voters could cost them in November.
Read the full Comité de 100 letter with its signatories HERE.
Read the full polling and public-opinion memo HERE.
Photos and additional materials are available upon request.