Cites Negative Impact on Entire Hispanic Community

Oklahoma City, OK – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., expressed deep concern about the impact of new state laws which appear to target illegal immigrants, but also have severe negative consequences for the entire Latino community. Of particular concern is a law in Oklahoma which was implemented in late 2007, the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007. On January 24, in Oklahoma City, representatives from NCLR and its Affiliates will join Oklahoma state officials, parents, and other community leaders at a town hall to discuss the impact of the law and policy alternatives that address the real needs of all Oklahoma residents.

“We are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants; however, laws like the one enacted in Oklahoma do more harm than good. They encourage treating all Hispanic people in the state as suspects and wreak havoc on our civil rights,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR.

The new Oklahoma law appears to be part of a trend at the state level. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, more than 1,500 bills related to immigration were introduced in 2007 and more than 200 became law.

“While the failure of Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform left a vacuum that states understandably feel obligated to address, the nation’s immigration problems will not be solved with a patchwork of state-level policies,” added Murguía.

“Too many states have passed laws that are costly, are practically impossible to enforce, and create a hostile atmosphere for all Hispanics by treating them as if they are in violation of the law by virtue of their ethnicity,” continued Murguía.

“While all Americans are understandably frustrated at the federal government’s failure to solve this nation’s immigration problem, the problem is exacerbated by laws that push immigrants further underground and create a climate of fear and exploitation,” Murguía concluded.

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