Immigrants Under Siege, Know Your Rights
By: Lydia Medrano. Ph.D.
Council #7252
LULAC’s legacy of advocating for the economic, educational, and political attainment of Latino communities in the United States has been integral to our work for over 90 years. Since our founding in 1929, LULAC has been at the forefront of seminal court cases and advocacy efforts that improved the lives and futures of Latinos throughout the United States – from successfully advocating for the reclassification of Latinos in the U.S. census (1936) and the desegregation of Los Angeles public schools (1943), to enabling Latinos to serve as jurors (1954) and creating the Little School of 400 (1959) that served as a precursor for Head Start programs that have helped millions of children.
The United States is the land of immigrants. Immigration has been an issue at the forefront of LULAC’s work. Preserving the dignity, rights, health, and safety of immigrants and refugees to the United States is a core priority of LULAC and Latinos across the U.S.
LULAC’s current immigration priorities include (a) Citizenship, immigration, and border issues: Ensure Administration actions that impact Latino migrants and refugees to the U.S. are aligned with human rights standards and preserve their dignity, rights, health, and safety. Preserve legal status for Dreamers. (b) Green Card Veterans: Raise awareness about the deportation of military veterans and pass legislation that would allow for the return of previously deported green card veterans.
The current U.S. policy to deport immigrants and the way it is being conducted creates fear of stereotyping and scapegoating in the Hispanic community. In this time of insecurity, remember not to panic. There are allies and resources available to support you in defending your rights and protecting your well-being.
Immigration policies and personal security can create anxiety, it is essential to know your rights and how to assert them. El Escudo is a tool designed to empower immigrant families by providing the necessary information to defend their rights in various situations, from interactions with authorities to accessing medical services, the workplace, and educational systems. This resource is intended to offer a path toward security, ensuring that individuals know they have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their immigration status. El Escudo can be accessed from the website https://lulac.org/know_your_rights/.