LULAC Tells Trump: Don’t Mess With Mexico Trade

Nation’s Oldest And Largest Civil Rights Organization Outlines Major Impacts on Texas & U.S.

Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) says a plan by President Trump to levy a 5% to as high as 25% tariff on Mexican goods will affect Americans in very real ways and hurt the economy of Texas and the U.S. without solving the border immigration issue.

“Trump is going too far when he’s messing with everything from cars to produce and nobody benefits from political bullying except him,” says Domingo Garcia, National President. “We import 2.5 million cars every year now from Mexico, even more than we do from Japan plus 217 million pounds of avocados from Mexican farms. What will he accomplish except drive up the cost of an avocado to five dollars each and add to the sticker price of a new car or anything else made in Mexico?” adds Garcia.

President Trump says the tariff starting at 5% and possibly escalating to 10% is being imposed because Mexico won’t stop undocumented immigrants coming across the border including refugees seeking asylum from violence in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. LULAC says it intends to send a message that his threats will not replace a sweeping Marshall Plan that needs to be implemented to create jobs, bolster their economy and keep refugees at home.

“This issue is also about the blue collar and middle class who is being stretched financially thin and are depending on their next paycheck to get through,” says Garcia. “It's about the border states and midwestern states who depend heavily on trade and whose communities will be negatively impacted due to increase in prices and loss of jobs. Most importantly, in implementing this approach, we are violating asylum provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act as well as US treaty obligations established to protect refugees.”

Texas LULAC is holding its 90th Annual State Convention through Sunday, June 2 at the Hilton Hotel with a wide ranging selection of presentations, symposiums and breakout workshops on topics focusing on veterans, senior, labor, LGBTQ, civic engagement, women’s rights including gender equity in the workplace, education and much more.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org