NewsTaco

Several Latino politicians in Texas took GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney to task today over his stance on the DREAM Act in a statement from the Texas Democratic Party.

Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston) said:

“If Republicans were serious about reaching out to Hispanics, they’d stop endorsing candidates that are hostile to the Latino community. Romney would easily be the most anti-Hispanic presidential nominee of our time. Only a few minor extremists have ever matched his vitriolic rhetoric towards an entire segment of our population. Romney should self-deport out of Texas.”

Rep. Ana Hernandez Luna (D-Houston), who gained legal status under President Reagan’s 1986 immigration reform said:

“Romney’s threatening to punish hard-working immigrant students who have the potential to be the future of our state. I see myself in many of these students. I would not be where I am today if Mitt Romney had been in the White House instead of President Ronald Reagan. It’s shameful that Romney would use young students to prove to the extremists in his party that he’s conservative enough.”

The following is part of a press release from MALDEF:

Today, MALDEF filed legal papers opposing an attempt by the State of Texas to secure federal approval for its new Voter ID law. The intervention was filed on behalf of two Latino voters and two organizations that conduct voter registration and turnout campaigns in the Latino community: Southwest Voter Registration Education Project and Mi Familia Vota Education Fund. The lawsuit by Texas seeks permission from the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. to impose identification procedures that discriminate against Latinos in Texas. The U.S. Department of Justice blocked Texas’ Voter ID Law earlier this month on the grounds that the law disproportionately harms Latino voters. MALDEF has moved to intervene its clients in the case to defend the voting rights of Texas Latinos and to defend the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965…

According to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Texas is one of 16 states required to receive federal approval before changing voter laws, because of the State’s history of discriminating against minorities at the polls. This move comes on the heels of the recent Texas redistricting battle, in which MALDEF litigated successfully to secure two new congressional districts in which Latinos have the opportunity to elect their candidate of choice. MALDEF intends to ensure that Texas Latinos are able to realize that new power in November at the polls.

The Texas AFL-CIO endorsed both Democratic candidates for the 23rd congressional district in South Texas last week, both Ciro Rodriguez and Pete Gallego.

Six undocumented immigrants arrested during a protest against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s enforcement policies will not be deported, according to ICE. They were arrested Tuesday in Phoenix and ICE officials said the protestors — Ofelia Sanchez, 18, Hugo Sanchez, 23, Daniela Cruz, 20, Viridiana Hernandez, 20, a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl — would be released because they are not part of ICE’s “enforcement priorities.” There’s more info and video here.

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush endorsed Mitt Romney today, which is interesting considering he’d made motions of immigration reform in the past and Romney’s been called the most extreme candidate on immigration ever.

The Arizona state AFL-CIO endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Richard Carmona today. Read our profile of Carmona here.

Joanna Burgos is set to head the National Republican Congressional Committee’s independent expenditures arm, which makes her the first Latino and woman to hold the post. Burgos is from Miami and has worked in the NRCC’s media relations, including being the national press secretary for the Republican National Convention in 2008.

SB 1070 author Russell Pearce, who was recalled in November of last year, then was elected first vice chairman of the  Republican party in January, is now trying to head back into politics. Pearce announced his candidacy for Legislative District 25 to a room full of Tea Party supporters and was flanked by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, among others.

NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials) released an interesting report, 2012 Primary Electoral Profile for Illinois. The report includes information about Florida’s Latino voters, by age, party affiliation, ethnic subgroup, and much more. Download it here.

The AFL-CIO endorsed President Barack Obama for president last week, citing his passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and its creation of 3.6 million jobs, health insurance reform, Wall Street reform and more. Read the statement here.

In a story recently published in The San Antonio Express-News, NALEO revealed that a recent focus group found that a Latina’s influence can help her family members get out to vote. According to the report:

“We will develop a strategy where we speak to Latinas,” said Arturo Vargas, longtime executive director for NALEO. “There’s something there that we need to tap into to get our Hispanic mother and wife and sister to get their husbands and brothers and sons to vote…”

Asked who among them planned to vote in the 2012 elections, none raised a hand. Who might influence them to vote? Participants said they would listen to their wives and mothers.

A report from the Pew Hispanic Center today analyzed Census data and released some interesting findings. Here’s a portion of the release:

• The 10 states with the largest Hispanic populations are California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, Colorado, New Mexico and Georgia.
• The 10 states in which the Hispanic share of the population is highest are New Mexico, Texas, California, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Colorado, New Jersey, New York and Illinois.
• Nearly half (47%) of all Hispanics live in California (14.1 million) or Texas (9.5 million), down from 50% in 2000.
• California has 5.4 million Hispanic immigrants, more than any other state. California is followed by Texas, with 2.9 million Hispanics immigrants, and Florida with 2.1 million Hispanic immigrants.
• Slightly more than half of Hispanics in Maryland (54%), the District of Columbia (52%) and Alabama (51%) are foreign born, the highest foreign born shares among Hispanics in the U.S.

Among the key findings from the county database:

• Los Angeles County, California, has the nation’s largest Hispanic population—-nearly 4.7 million.
• More than 95% of the populations in the Texas counties of Webb, Starr and Maverick are Hispanic—-the highest Hispanic population shares in the nation.
• The Hispanic population is more dispersed today than in 2000. Then, the 50 counties with the largest Hispanic populations had two-thirds (64%) of the nation’s Hispanic population. In 2010, those same counties contained 59% of all Hispanics.
• Only four counties had a decrease of more than 1,000 people in their Hispanic population between 2000 and 2010—-New York County, NY; Arlington County, VA; Rio Arriba County, NM; and Duval County, TX.

The Department of Justice objected a proposed voter ID law in Texas that would have made voting more difficult for Latinos in that state, specifically because of the requirement for a photo ID. The DOJ noted that Latinos are 120% more likely than other groups to not have a photo ID. According to the AP:

The Justice Department’s civil rights division has objected to the new photo ID requirement for voters in Texas, saying many Hispanic voters lack state-issued identification.

The department says the state has failed to show that the newly enacted law has neither a discriminatory purpose nor effect.

Today the White House released a report analyzing the reach of the Hispanic summits that have been held across the country. According to a release:

More than 3,000 Hispanic community and business leaders and over 70 senior Obama Administration officials shared their ideas and expertise on nearly 500 topics involving important federal services and safeguards over the past year, according to a new report released this week by the White House Office of Public Engagement and the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.