LULAC joins NAACP in Minneapolis to call for federal accountability in Operation Metro Surge
The League of United and Latin American Citizens, the nation's largest and oldest Latino civil rights group, is in Minneapolis Tuesday with heavy hearts and clear purpose amid Operation Metro Surge.
"We have seen in Minneapolis the last few weeks, and across the nation, an escalation of tactics that resulted in the loss of life, fear in neighborhoods and deep divisions," said Roman Palomares, the league's national president. "Videos and multiple eyewitness accounts have raised serious questions about official narratives and practices. That is why LULAC demands an independent, transparent investigation. We want clear accountability in policies that ensure enforcement is consistent with constitutional protections."
The civil rights group also wants an investigation into what is happening in immigration detention centers.
"It is our understanding that at least six to 10 individuals have passed away in our detention centers, and most of them are Latinos," Palomares said.
The league is working side by side with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Both want to see a 5-year-old boy taken by ICE agents from the driveway of his home in Columbia Heights returned to Minnesota.
They also say they want to see Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem relieved of duty, and the U.S. Senate to vote "no" on any funding that will go to
"The United States Senate needs to vote no on any funding that will go to ICE," said Dominic Whitehead, chief of field for the NAACP.
Both civil rights groups are working with local chapters to promote change, and challenge policies that put all American communities at risk.
The league is working with lawmakers in Texas, and are holding a rally in San Antonio to ask for the immediate release of Liam Ramos and his father.