WASHINGTON, DC - The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund issued the following statement in response to the Senate’s failure to pass a motion to move its comprehensive immigration reform bill forward:

“The NALEO Educational Fund, the leading organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the political process, is deeply disappointed that the U.S. Senate failed to finish consideration of a comprehensive immigration reform bill
(S. 1348), as it defeated a procedural vote which would have allowed the bill to continue moving forward.  While the legislation contains many major and serious flaws, we believe that it is important that the Senate return to working on the bill and take action on comprehensive immigration reform before the August recess.

“The time has come for the President and Congress to address comprehensive immigration reform so that we have fair and effective policies that recognize the invaluable contributions of newcomers to our nation’s economic and civic life.   The Senate’s failure to move this important legislation forward puts in peril our ability to meet this critical challenge.  We urge the President and Congress to demonstrate the commitment necessary to make comprehensive immigration reform a reality this Congressional session by returning to the negotiating table to fix the nation’s broken immigration system - failure or inaction is not an option.

“The NALEO Educational Fund has adopted principles on comprehensive immigration reform [click here] that provide a road map to the work that needs to be done on this important national issue, including the need for a path to U.S. citizenship for those immigrants who have played by the rules and are contributing to our society.  Our principles also envision a system which promotes family reunification and reduces immigration backlogs; provides a meaningful opportunity for immigrant students to pursue a college education; protects our national security with effective and fair enforcement measures; and promotes the civic integration of newcomers.  We urge the President and members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to work toward those principles for true comprehensive immigration reform.”