WHEREAS, the League of United Latin American Citizens is this nation's oldest and largest Latino organization, founded in Corpus Christi, Texas on February 24, 1929; and

WHEREAS, LULAC throughout its history has committed itself to the principal that Hispanic Americans have equal access to opportunities in employment, education, housing, and health care; and

WHEREAS, LULAC has supported the principles of equal opportunities for economic development, political influence, civil rights, and the general welfare for all Latinos in the United States; and

WHEREAS, we just recently buried 14 Mexican Nationals who lost their lives in the Arizona desert near Yuma. We also know that many more will die this summer unless we continue to fight to change immigration policies, and

WHEREAS, we must continue to ask Mexico and the United States to continue their partnership to find solutions to this issue. Work towards giving legal status to longtime undocumented residents and adopt a viable guest-laborer program, and

WHEREAS, we must also provide resources towards investigating and finding those individuals (coyotes) who purposely lead our people out into the desert to die, and

WHEREAS, our people have suffered and are suffering but we must continue to work together and push for change and a better tomorrow, and

WHEREAS, we applaud the Mexican Government for their efforts regarding the survival kits and we commit that we will continue to advocate finding long-term solutions to this issue

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the 72nd annual national convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens convened in Phoenix, Arizona on June 3-9, 2001, immediately contact John Ashcroft and the Department of Justice and the Office of Civil Rights to continue to work towards solutions from both the Mexican Government and United States Government regarding this crisis and that we send a letter of support to the Mexican Government regarding the proposal of issuing survival kits to those individuals who are seeking a better life for themselves and their families. That we also ask the Mexican Government to crack down on the smugglers who lead our people out into the desert to die.

United States Commission on Civil Rights
Western Regional Office
3660 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 810
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 894-3437

Submitted by:
Mary L. Fimbres, Arizona LULAC State Director
Teri Martinez, LULAC State VP for Women
Richard G. Fimbres, LULAC National VP for the Far West
Ana Valenzuela Estrada, President Council 1001

Approved this 9th day of June, 2001.

Rick Dovalina
LULAC National President