Press Contact: media@hispanicfederation.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, Joan Sebastian Guerrero was killed by federal agents in Biddeford, Maine. His death follows the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, in Houston, Texas the week before. Today, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that agents nationwide were ordered to suspend most vehicle stops during enforcement operations. Below is a response from Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.
“On Monday, we witnessed another tragic death, an avoidable loss or life that has left a deep scar in Maine and has reverberated across the nation. We are heartbroken to also acknowledge that this death comes within a week of another killing by ICE agents in Texas. It is no coincidence that these killings occurred one month after Congress provided $70 billion in funding to federal immigration enforcement agencies without requiring any oversight or accountability. Our innocent community members are being killed at the hands of our government. This must stop and we must do something about it.
We have been warning about the potential loss of life that would result from more funding for an agency without requiring guardrails or oversight, and now we are seeing what happens. Temporarily pausing most vehicle stops is a minimal, long overdue step, but this is the minimum we could expect given the rampant violence that has pervaded federal operations with traffic stops, home raids, and other actions taken to target our communities. The pattern we are witnessing is nothing short of a terror campaign against immigrant and Latino families. The pause in traffic stops was put in place as an attempt to appease the resounding public outcry, but we will not be placated by surface level reform. Permanent guardrails must be put in place so that tragedies like these never happen again. Hispanic Federation calls on Congress to take immediate action and pass comprehensive oversight and accountability measures on all immigration enforcement operations.”
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About Hispanic Federation
Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized, and immigrant Latine. With programs in 43 states and territories, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.
