Press Releases
June 27, 2016
Press Release
“The decision is a silver lining to the dark clouds cast by two other rulings this month…”
Washington, DC – On Thursday, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) issued the following statement in reaction to the announcement of a 5-3 decision against Texas House Bill 2 in the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the U.S. Supreme Court case related to a clinic shutdown law in Texas.
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June 23, 2016
Press Release
Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) issued the following statement in reaction to the announcement of a 4-4 tie in the case of United States v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court case related to DACA and DAPA, among the President’s executive actions on immigration. “We are disappointed but not defeated..."
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June 15, 2016
Press Release
On Wednesday, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) participated in a telephonic press conference about the Central American refugee crisis, the asylum process, and family detention issues, which was hosted by the American Immigration Lawyers Association and included a spokesperson from the Latin American Working Group. During his opening statement, the Congressman noted that today is the fourth anniversary of the day that President Obama announced the DACA program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in 2012, which has allowed more than 700,000 DREAMers to apply for temporary relief from deportation.
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June 13, 2016
Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Members released the following statements in response to this weekend’s shooting in Orlando, Florida. 49 people were killed and 53 more were wounded during an LGBT dance club “Latin Flavor” night. The attack is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
June 2, 2016
Press Release
Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) fought hard to curb the predatory practices of payday lenders and other types of money lenders through legislation over the past few years. As part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Effort in 2009-2010, when he served as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and as a Member of the Conference Committee, Rep. Gutiérrez led the fight to rein in payday lenders charging exorbitant interest rates. Rep. Gutiérrez also introduced stand-alone legislation to regulate pay day lenders These efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, with bills and amendments blocked by Democrats and Republicans. However, on Thursday, June 2, 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a proposed rule governing payday lenders and other predatory lending practices, which is now open for a 90-day comment period before a final regulation is ordered.
June 1, 2016
Press Release
Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) wrote Secretary of State John Kerry asking for his help moving the process of granting Temporary Protected Status to Ecuadorians in the U.S. so that it is granted by the Department of Homeland Security as soon as possible. A strong earthquake devastated areas of Ecuador on April 16 and there have been strong aftershocks since then. TPS would protect certain Ecuadorians already living in the U.S. from deportation temporarily, allowing them to work in the United States and augment the country’s recovery through remittances sent back to Ecuador. Among the steps that must be completed before the U.S. government grants TPS is a recommendation by the Department of State to the Secretary of Homeland Security supporting TPS for Ecuadorians.
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May 26, 2016
Press Release
The four Puerto Rican Democratic Members of Congress released a letter they wrote to President Obama asking for a meeting to discuss the “immediate release” of Oscar López Rivera, a federal prisoner for 35 years who is considered the last Puerto Rican political prisoner held by the United States. The letter, sent on February 24, 2016, makes the case for Mr. López Rivera’s release and appeals to the President’s sense of justice.
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May 25, 2016
Press Release
Rep. Gutiérrez spoke about the latest anti-immigration and anti-immigrant actions of the Republican Party. He focused on a mark-up hearing today in the Judiciary Committee on a bill to severely restrict and slow down legal immigration – including special screening for Muslims – as well as the “onerous” dictates of Judge Andrew S. Hanen, a federal Judge in Texas.
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May 24, 2016
Press Release
On Tuesday, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) told his colleagues that he would not support the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) bill being marked up in the House Natural Resources Committee today. In a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member and all Members of the Committee, Rep. Gutierrez wrote, “In the last week I have examined the details and have found it comes up short.”
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May 23, 2016
Press Release
On Monday, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez called on the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to citizens of Ecuador living in the United States. The Government of Ecuador reportedly made the formal request for TPS to the United States last week, so “there should be no further delay,” the Congressman said. TPS, which under law is granted at the discretion of the DHS Secretary, would temporarily shield certain Ecuadorian citizens from deportation as the country recovers from the devastating earthquake on April 16 and its aftershocks.
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