Hispanic Federation Welcomes Long Needed Action on Gun Reform

WASHINGTON — For the first time in over 25 years, Congress passed bipartisan legislation that addresses access to guns, crisis intervention, and school safety in our country. Though it falls short in many areas, this bill provides hope that Congress will begin taking responsibility for the fact that the U.S. is an extreme outlier among developed countries when it comes to gun laws and gun-related violence and death. Hispanic Federation thanks President Biden for signing this bipartisan legislation into law.

“After years of stalemate, we are finally seeing notable progress in Congress by enacting some commonsense reforms that will protect more Americans, including Latinos who are dying at rates disproportionate to their white peers, from gun violence. According to recent research, Latinos are twice as likely to die from gun homicide and four times as likely to be wounded by gun violence as non-Hispanic white people. Latinx children and teens are three times more likely to be killed by gun homicide than their white non-Hispanic peers. Signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law is a needed first step in a country that has not seen meaningful federal gun safety legislation in decades,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.

Too many lives are violently cut short in senseless mass shootings that are becoming more frequent. In 2019, the El Paso Walmart shooter targeted Latinos and killed 23 people because he was angered by “the Hispanic invasion of Texas.” The Pulse attack in 2016 targeted Latino night at a popular gay nightclub, killing 49 and injuring 53 Latino/a/x and Black people. This year's two most recent mass shootings targeted minority communities, first in Buffalo, NY, at a predominantly Black grocery store, then in Uvalde, Texas, a city with an 81.8% Latino population.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act focuses on enforcing extra scrutiny on gun buyers below the age of 21, including examining their mental and criminal records as juveniles. The legislation will offer grants to states to implement “red flag” laws that temporarily remove access to firearms from individuals deemed a threat to themselves and others, as well as expand support for mental health treatment, school security, and community violence intervention programs. And for the first time, the legislation will establish federal laws against interstate gun trafficking to block the spread of illegal guns into cities. It also addresses the “boyfriend loophole,” which would prohibit the use of guns for those convicted of domestic violence, not only against a spouse but also a dating partner.

“Guns should not be sold to people or carried by those who are deemed to be a danger to our society. People who are suffering from depression or isolation, or who have a mental illness, should, first and foremost, be able to access the help they need. The lack of common-sense laws regarding the purchase and use of guns cost lives. The Supreme Court’s disturbing decision overturning a New York law intended to limit the prevalence of concealed weapons in public, could hinder the ability of local, state, and federal governments to keep families safe from gun violence. At a time when urgent steps are deeply needed, we commend Congress and the Biden administration for passing legislation that will protect more Americans from the epidemic of gun violence.

We see this legislation as an important first step; however, much more needs to be done to meet the devastation wreaked in our society by the prevalence and accessibility of guns in the United States, such as a ban on assault rifles and uniform limits on high-capacity magazines. Hispanic Federation is committed to advocating for our communities' human and civil rights and to highlighting the impact of policy decisions on our communities and will continue to fight for more protections to ensure that ALL Americans live safely in our communities,” Miranda added.

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Hispanic Federation Welcomes Long Needed Action on Gun Reform