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BBT Commends Biden-Harris Administration Actions to Support Latino Communities and Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 17, 2024
PRESS CONTACT: [email protected]

BBT COMMENDS BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS TO SUPPORT LATINO COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Building Back Together (BBT) Executive Director Mayra Macías released the following statement supporting President Biden’s new actions to support Latino families and communities by strengthening Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and expanding access to legal representation and immigration services:

“From day one, President Biden has been a true and reliable supporter of Latino families — cutting Latino unemployment in half, discharging hundreds of millions in student loan debt, protecting families from evictions and supporting thousands of Latino-owned small businesses. All that is without even touching on this administration’s important work to fix our broken immigration system — defending the DACA program in court, extending TPS to hundreds of thousands of families and pressuring Congress to pass President Biden’s proposal on comprehensive immigration reform.

“Today, President Biden has once again shown Latino families and communities across the country that he stands alongside us. By moving to support HSIs at unprecedented levels — giving them access to the resources, funding streams and federal recruitment pathways necessary to ensure that students at HSIs across America can succeed — and expanding the TRIO program to Dreamers, President Biden is making good on his commitment to continue leveling the playing field for hardworking Americans.

“Moreover, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to work to make our immigration system fairer and more efficient. As of August 19th, undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens will finally be able to get on a pathway to citizenship without having to leave the United States — fulfilling the intentions of President Biden’s executive order from earlier this summer. BBT will continue to do the work to tell Latino families and communities exactly what this administration has done for them since the beginning.”

In his proposal today, President Biden has:

  • Announced unprecedented support for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, including by:

    • Establishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic-Serving Institutions;
    • Creating a new President’s Board of Advisors for HSIs;
    • Increasing awareness of opportunities for HSIs to equally participate in federal programs and enhance the capacity of HSIs to meet the educational needs of their students;
    • Identifying best practices for HSIs to scale effective strategies, programs, and initiatives to support the educational success and economic mobility of their students;
    • Improving the ability of HSIs to align program offerings with the economic needs of the nation and their local economies, especially in science, technology, engineering, math, and teaching;
    • Coordinating efforts to help HSIs become or remain fiscally secure institutions;
    • Fostering cross-sector collaboration among HSIs and philanthropic, public, and private sector organizations;
    • Strengthening federal recruitment activities at HSIs to build accessible and equal pathways into federal career opportunities for HSI students, faculty, staff, and alumni; and
    • Providing tools, data, and analytics to support HSIs in improving educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for students.
  • Confirmed that undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens can apply for permanent legal residence without leaving the country as of August 19, 2024;
  • Directed the Department of Education to issue a proposed rule to expand the federal TRIO program to ensure Dreamers and others can enroll;
  • Directed the Department of Justice Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) to double the number of locations for their “Attorney of the Day” program, which makes volunteer lawyers available in immigration courtrooms to provide assistance to those who do not have representation at their initial immigration court hearings;
  • Announced the launch of the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) new initiative – “USCIS to You” – to bring immigration-related assistance into local communities, including rural and underserved areas.

See the White House’s full fact sheet on today’s announcement here.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked hard for Latino families since Day One. For more information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s work for Latinos, see BBT’s fact sheet here. 

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