FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: January 4, 2019 Taylor Woolfork (916) 319-2048
Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio and Latino Caucus VisitRefugee Migrants at Border and Urge California to Do More
SACRAMENTO – Members of the California Latino Legislative Caucus this week toured migrant shelters on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. After getting a first-hand look at the desperate conditions, Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio joined fellow Caucus members in demanding a more permanent plan instead of what appears to be the new normal: An exasperating policy by the federal government that exploits human tragedy on both sides of the border.
“What I witnessed at the border was the systematic corrosion of human compassion and decency spurred on by the Trump Administration,” said Assemblywoman Rubio. “As a mother and former school teacher, it is particularly heart-breaking to witness young children being treated so poorly and living in such dire conditions. If the Federal government is failing to lead, California must do more to help address the migrant refugees.”
Assemblywoman Rubio was joined on the tour of migrant shelters by California Latino Legislative Caucus Chair, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego); Caucus Vice Chair, Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles); Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego); Senators Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) and Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park); Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters); Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens); Todd Gloria (D-San Diego); Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara); Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton); and Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-San Bernardino).
“The California Latino Caucus pledges to work closely with the new Governor, the Attorney General, and our fellow members of the Legislature to come up with a permanent plan to address the migrant refugee crisis at our doorstep,” said Caucus Chair, Asm. Lorena Gonzalez. “The shelters my colleagues and I visited are no place for the many families who are rightfully seeking asylum. We can do better, and we will.”
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The California Latino Legislative Caucus serves as a forum for members from the State Senate and Assembly to identify key issues affecting Latinos and develop avenues to empower the Latino Community throughout California. Following in the footsteps of generations of pioneering Latinos who settled and helped build this great state, Latino legislators united in 1973 to maximize their power notwithstanding their limited numbers. Since its creation 46 years ago, the Caucus has grown in both numbers and stature. There are now a record 33 members of the Caucus and more than half of the legislative members are women. The Caucus boasts a rich history of empowerment, legislative and political success and serves as one of the most influential and strategic organizations in California.