KANSAS CITY, Kan. — UnidosUS will host its annual conference in Kansas City August 4-7. It is the nation’s largest Latino Civil Rights organization.
Immigration was already set to be a big topic, but it’s taken on new significance after raids of restaurants this week, one in the hometown of UnidosUS’s president.
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We’re told a dozen workers in all were detained. At least three have since been released.
Homeland Security says ICE was carrying out a criminal federal search warrant to rescue victims of human trafficking when it raided El Toro Loco restaurants when they opened Wednesday in Lenexa and Kansas City, Kansas.
UnidosUS President Janet Murguia grew up in KCK, now she’s in Washington D.C. fighting for immigration reform under new policies by the Trump administration.
“The vast majority of stats we’ve garnered so far show that less than 10 percent of folks they’ve picked up have any criminal record. So the facts just don’t support what they are saying as an excuse to go into these small businesses and create these raids and disruption,” Murguia said.
Immigration will be on the agenda as 1500 Latino leaders advocates and allies arrive in Kansas City for next week’s UnidosUS annual conference.
“We talk a lot about focus on economic empowerment for the community but obviously the disruption and chaos and cruelty we are seeing by these mass deportation action that are so extreme will also be a focus for us,” Murguia said.
Murguia said she’s worried about due process for workers who aren’t being told what they are charged with and families struggling to find out where loved ones are taken. During next week’s conference they’ll also discuss best practices for witnesses to avoid facing scrutiny for filming arrests.
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“We want to give important information for what average citizens can do when we see these raids that are happening with extreme aggressive tactics,” she said.
While UnidosUS is calling out cruelty, so is Homeland Security . On Friday, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin with Homeland Security said they’ve seen more than an a 800 percent increase in assaults on ICE agents.
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