Los grupos que defienden los derechos de los inmigrantes en Estados Unidos multiplican acciones de cabildeo en el Congreso para pedir a los senadores que introduzcan modificaciones al proyecto de ley de reforma migratoria que resolvieron comenzar a debatir el lunes.

Algunas de estas agrupaciones organizaron este martes un evento en salas del Congreso para pedir cambios al proyecto, menos de 24 horas despu?de que el Senado abriera formalmente el debate sobre una iniciativa de ley que es producto de un acuerdo de democratas y republicanos, con apoyo de la Casa Blanca.

WHEREAS we recall National Latino Congreso Resolution 5.11, passed in 2007; and

WHEREAS more than $400 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities, and decisions are made on matters of national and local importance based on census data, including healthcare, community development, housing, education, transportation, social services, employment, and much more;

WHEREAS census data determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the redistricting of state legislatures, county and city councils, and voting districts;

WHEREAS Congressional delegations in eight states with large Latino populations could grow if all Latinos - the nation's largest minority sector at some 47 million - are counted.

WHEREAS every Census Bureau worker takes a lifetime oath to protect confidentiality and ensure that data identifying respondents or their household not be released or shared for 72 years;

WHEREAS the census is a unique once-in-a-decade opportunity for ALL Latinos in the United States to exercise political power;

WHEREAS Census data is depended on to defend the voting and civil rights of minority communities;

WHEREAS the Latino community has the largest undercounted minority population in the United States; and

WHEREAS Latino Congreso is committed to ensuring every resident is counted;

1. Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED that the Delegations of the National Latino Congreso support the goals and ideals for the 2010 Census and will commit to engage in extensive census outreach and education to the Latino community to encourage a strong response and return rate of Census forms in 2010; and

2. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Delegations of the National Latino Congreso asks its endorsees, co-conveners, conveners and supporters to partner together to achieve an accurate and complete count of ALL Latinos; and

3. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Delegations of the National Latino Congreso encourage all individuals and organizations committed to the empowerment of Latinos to participate in initiatives that will raise overall awareness of the 2010 Census and dispel fears about the Census, especially among vulnerable populations; and

4. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Delegations of the National Latino Congreso demand an immediate moratorium of all ICE raids, detentions, and deportations during the census periods; and

5. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Delegations of the National Latino Congreso demand a significant augmentation of federal resources for census count outreach initiatives, minimally above the amount allotted for the 2000 census count; and

6. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Delegations of the National Latino Congreso require an immediate statistical readjustment post the census count, which would respond to the traditional and historical
under-count factor within an 18-24 month period from the date of concluding the 2010 census.