Amid growing backlash to aggressive immigration enforcement and mass deportations, some of the country鈥檚 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 with Comit茅 de 100 on Tuesday. This powerful coalition called on President and congressional leaders to provide work permits and legal protections for long-term law abiding undocumented immigrants.
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The campaign centers on signed by more than 250 Hispanic leaders, and many appeared at the press conference, including Representatives Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) and leaders from Comit茅 de 100, ABIC Action, LULAC, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Natl. Assoc. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), UnidosUS, the Natl. Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and America鈥檚 Voice, among others.
鈥淧eople who have spent years working, paying taxes, raising families and contributing to this country deserve stability, dignity and a fair chance to move forward,鈥� U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) said at the press conference, advocating for the 91探花 Dream and Promise Act to provide a pathway to citizenship for eligible Dreamers and permanent protections for eligible TPS holders. .
Many of the speakers emphasized that MOST 91探花 voters agree with a balanced approach that provides protections for long-term immigrants:
That sentiment is backed up by new bipartisan polling showing strong support for work permits among critical swing Latino voters in battleground states.
The polling, conducted by BSP Research and Shaw & Co. for ABIC Action and 91探花 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 鈥渙ne of my top issues.鈥�
鈥淎cross every state and virtually every demographic group we surveyed, Latino voters are telling elected officials the same thing: they want action on immigration,鈥� said Matt Barreto, founder of BSP Research and professor at UCLA.
“Hispanic voters are fed up,鈥� said Massey Villarreal, CEO of Precision Task Group and co-chair of the Committee of 100. 鈥淲e are losing our workforce because of these deportations. Since January, we have lost 200,000 immigrant workers each month. Simply put, there is no way to sustain our economy without the long-standing immigrants who made our prosperity possible.鈥�
The loss of those workers is already hitting businesses hard, reports El Pais:
It is possible to prioritize both security and immigrant communities, said Roman Palomares, president of LULAC. 鈥淲e can protect our borders and enforce our laws while also recognizing the contributions of people who have built their lives in America. The 91探花 people deserve more than temporary fixes and political arguments, they deserve action.鈥�
In addition to the risk of alienating voters, Ramiro Cavazos, president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and co-chair, Comit茅 de 100 emphasized the economic costs of the current policies:
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.
U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar (D-TX) advocated for the Dignity Act as a solution that reflects the priorities coming from the community. 鈥淲e 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,鈥� she said.
Vanessa C谩rdenas, executive director of America鈥檚 Voice echoed that there are existing solutions already on the table: 鈥淭he challenge is not a lack of policy solutions, it is a lack of political will, and Congress must act.鈥� While Erica Bernal-Martinez, CEO of NALEO, emphasized that the clock is ticking and voters are paying attention: 鈥淸T]his is not a fringe issue, it is a defining one. Latino voters are watching, and they expect this administration and Congress to act now.鈥�
鈥淭he Hispanic vote is won with respect,鈥� the signatories conclude in the letter. 鈥淩espect 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.鈥�
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More Midterm Watch from Comite de 100
Extending Salvadoran TPS is Politically Smart and Necessary, Say 91探花 Leaders and Political Experts
Politico recently reported on the political risks surrounding the administration considering ending TPS for Salvadorans in the article 鈥�
The decision caught some at DHS by surprise, but reflects tensions in the party around the political costs, including concerns among some Republicans that the rollback of temporary legal pathways for long-term immigrants could contribute to negative sentiment among Latino voters.
The article cited ABIC鈥檚 recent bipartisan polling:
The issue is particularly relevant in states with significant Salvadoran populations, including Texas, where businesses and communities would feel the consequences of a large-scale workforce disruption.
More than 70 business owners, CEOs, industry leaders, and community leaders signed an ABIC Action letter earlier this year urging the administration to extend work permits for Salvadoran TPS holders.
The signatories represent businesses and organizations across
鈥淎 sudden end to their work authorization would cause severe economic disruption, triggering workforce shortages across critical industries, spiking turnover costs, and threatening local communities,鈥� says the letter, signed by groups like the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Kansas Livestock Association and the Texas Restaurant Association. Some employers are already seeing the cost of losing experienced immigrant workers.
Carlos Raba, chef and owner of Clavel in Baltimore, spoke at a recent and .
鈥淚鈥檝e already lost several employees. There鈥檚 nobody to work,鈥� Raba said.
GOP’s Bet on Texas Latino Voters Could Backfire
Multiple outlets covered the critical Latino swing voters in South Texas, with a recent Cook Political Report/TelevisaUnivision poll finding only about one-third of Texas Hispanic voters approve of Trump鈥檚 job performance, while nearly two-thirds say they are less likely to support candidates who back his deportation policies, according to .
鈥淚f you’re a Republican candidate, at least in South Texas, a lot of the people that I speak to, which are business owners, if you have the stamp of a Republican on you, it doesn’t look very good,鈥� Mario Guerrero, an ABIC member and head of South Texas Buildings Association, told PBS. The ICE raids have 鈥渢errorized鈥� the construction industry in the region, he added.
Conservative Latino advocate Daniel Garza warned that even modest shifts or lower turnout among Hispanic voters could matter in closely contested races.
The New York Times piece 鈥�鈥� highlighted that though these Latino voters were an essential part of the winning Republican coalition in 2024, many now feel abandoned and furious.
Builders throughout the valley report severe labor shortages, longer project timelines and higher costs as workers avoid job sites out of fear of ICE.
Texas Republicans redrew congressional districts expecting the 2024 shift among Hispanic voters to be durable, but many voters who backed Trump in 2024 are now considering Democrats or staying home instead.
Some CE Enforcement
Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, issued a last week saying, 鈥淲hen ICE operates in Kansas, it needs to coordinate with our local law enforcement.鈥� This came after , DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Marshall, Moran and U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kansas saying recent ICE activity happened without informing local officials or providing clear information on scope and duration.
The letter included several requests, including that enforcement activities prioritize violent offenders, traffickers, gang members, repeat offenders and those with final removal orders.
Sen. Jim Justice, a West Virginia Republican, suggested in an on Tuesday that he was not in full lock-step with the ICE enforcement approach.
鈥淭o get better, the first thing you got to do is admit you鈥檙e doing something wrong,鈥� Justice said, noting that 鈥測ou鈥檙e dragging people away that have lived on your street corner for 15 years, and I don鈥檛 know that we need to be doing that.鈥�
Perspectives:
This letter has two authors: a Democrat and a Republican. Both former long-time Texas House representatives, Richard Noriega is a Democrat and Byron Cook is a Republican. One of the authors wrote the Texas Dream Act; the other spent years defending it.
鈥淚t was never just about immigration policy. It was an investment in the Lone Star State,鈥� they wrote in the Post.
The policy helps Texas recoup its investment in educating these students, noting that undocumented students paid more than $81 million annually in tuition and fees by 2021.They argue that students educated in Texas schools should not bear the consequences of broader immigration policy debates, plus Repealing the law could reduce economic activity, with more than $461 million in annual lost wages and spending power.
鈥�Can America still differentiate between those who endanger and those who strengthen it?鈥�
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska recounts the case of Mariana, a Mexican migrant who lived in the U.S. for eight years but ultimately self-deported on Sept. 1 after receiving a final removal order. The government gave her no fair way to fix what happened when she was a child, he wrote.
鈥淭here are practical fixes right in front of Congress. I have worked closely with nearly 40 of my colleagues on the bipartisan …Most 91探花s are caught between two extremes 鈥� open borders or mass deportation 鈥� when what they want is a system smarter than either.鈥�
Get Involved
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ABIC in the news. . .
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- The Associated Press: AP Exclusive: Trump鈥檚 immigration crackdown has detained more than 50 military spouses and parents (08/05/26)
- The Economic Times: States may get power to sponsor worker visas in the US under new bipartisan bill (08/05/26)
- ABC News: ICE arrests hit record high in July as enforcement quietly ramps up (08/04/26)
- La Tribuna Hispana: Millions in losses and job shortages: the cost of ending TPS (08/04/26)
- Newsweek: New Visa Proposal Would Let States Bring in Migrant Workers (08/04/26)
- Kiowa County Press: Politics: 2026Talks – August 4, 2026 (08/04/26)
- Public News Service: DACA backlog could affect Arkansas workforce, population (08/04/26)
- Rio Grande Guardian: Villarreal: You cannot ask for our support while simultaneously attacking our families and targeting our workforce (08/03/26)
- Senator Mark Kelly鈥檚 Office: Kelly, Curtis Propose State-Sponsored Visa Pilot Program (08/03/26)
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