Voting and immigration dominated the discussion at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Hermiston Hispanic Advisory Committee.
Committee members talked about the need to form a nonpartisan League of Hispanic Voters. Committee member Virginia Garcia said the Hispanic community in Hermiston has seen some positive changes in the past year, but more still needs to be done.
“We still see changes that need to take place,” she said. “With us all working together, those changes will take place.”
The primary focus of a League of Hispanic Voters would be to get Hispanic residents registered to vote.
“It’s just asking people to assert their right to vote,” said committee member George Anderson. “You have to have political power and you want to be recognized. You want to be heard and the only way you can be heard is by your vote.”
Celso de la Cruz spoke from the audience to encourage voter registration among Hispanic residents.
“We (the Hispanic Advisory Committee) have accomplished a lot,” he said. “And we can accomplish a lot more if we register to vote.” De la Cruz is the father of Eddie de la Cruz, chairman of the Hispanic Advisory Committee.
Immigration reform was also on minds of committee members Tuesday night. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved an immigration reform bill on Tuesday, sending the measure to the Senate floor for consideration.
Committee members were hopeful the bill will pass Congress later this year, but voiced concern over an aspect of the bill that requires undocumented residents to apply within a year for Registered Provisional Immigrant Status. This would allow them to be in this country legally, work for any employer and travel outside of the United States.
“We’re hopeful that will be extended, but you never know,” said Anderson. He also noted the lack of local lawyers who specialize in immigration law who could assist the approximately 3,000 undocumented residents in Hermiston.
“We don’t have a single Spanish-speaking attorney in town and none do immigration work and I’m not going to learn,” said Anderson, who has been an attorney for 37 years. Anderson, however, said he has been talking with attorney Tom Roach in Pasco, Wash., who specializes in immigration law. He said Roach recommended those seeking citizenship should contact either Catholic Charities or Ecumenical Ministries, organizations that assist individuals seeking citizenship. Those groups, however, are small, said Anderson, and there is a limit to how many people they can help.
Anderson calls immigration reform “most important social justice issue of our time.” He said the Hispanic population in Hermiston is an invaluable part of the community.
“Without our Hispanic community, Hermiston would be a lot less prosperous and a lot less successful,” he said.
Anderson asked Riley Bushue, La Grande field representative for Rep. Greg Walden, to ask the Congressman to work to extend the application deadline.
“It has to be longer than one year,” Anderson told Bushue. “My message to Rep. Walden is get more time in this bill for the process to work.”
