Press Releases
December 7, 2015
Press Release
Washington, DC – On Monday, the Department of Justice announced it was opening an investigation into the Chicago Police Department (CPD) after the murder of Laquan McDonald, a Chicago teenager shot by a CPD officer more than a year ago. Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez, who was among those who requested the investigation, said he was pleased with the news.
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November 17, 2015
Press Release
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) spoke on the House floor (at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET) in response to Governor Rauner of Illinois and a dozen or more mostly Republican governors who said their states would refuse to take refugees fleeing terror and the Assad regime in Syria. Governors do not actually have this power, so their executive orders and pronouncements have overstepped their bounds, but Rep. Gutiérrez called their rejection of refugees “despicable and cowardly and exactly the kind of reaction ISIS wanted” in response to the Paris terror attacks.
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November 12, 2015
Press Release
Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez submitted a public comment in opposition to the waste-to-energy incinerator proposed by Energy Answers Arecibo LLC, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The Department of Agriculture solicited public comments as part of the process to determine if tax-payer money should be loaned to the company to underwrite the project. See http://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/arecibo-waste-energy-generation-and-resource for more information.
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November 10, 2015
Press Release
Washington, DC – On Monday, in a 2-1 ruling, a panel of three judges upheld a lower court’s temporary injunction stalling implementation of President Obama’s two deferred action programs granting relief to certain immigrants with deep ties to the United States. The President announced an expansion of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and DAPA (Deferred Action for Parental Accountability) in November 2014 after Republicans in the House blocked bipartisan immigration reform. As many as 5 million people will be able to apply for protection under deferred action once the temporary injunction is struck down. In all likelihood, the case is now headed to the Supreme Court, which could act sometime next year.
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November 4, 2015
Press Release
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) spoke on the House floor (at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET) to offer his congratulations to the new Speaker of the House Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and to the Republicans and to House Republicans who are “lucky to have him.” But Rep. Gutiérrez said he was sad that the new Speaker had to promise not to address immigration reform as a condition of being elected. Standing on the floor off the House before a sign reading “Stop Doing Nothing,” the Illinois Congressman said:
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November 2, 2015
Press Release
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) said he is glad the Congressional Hispanic Caucus voted to oppose the planned November 7 hosting of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” by billionaire Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The “Statement of Opposition” was approved by two-thirds of the CHC, which is comprised of 26 Latino Members of the House and Senate.
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November 2, 2015
Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus issued a statement of opposition to Donald Trump hosting Saturday Night Live. CHC Members issued the statement and follows an earlier statement made by the Chair on the inflammatory remarks made by Trump on the Mexican community.
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October 28, 2015
Press Release
Washington, DC – Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) joined House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and other House Democrats for the third “Make It In America: What’s Next?” hearing today in Washington. The Congressman testified on the role that immigrants play in the economy of Chicago and the nation.
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October 27, 2015
Press Release
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) spoke on the House floor (at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET) about some of the Chicago-area high school students he has met with in recent weeks. In particular, he spoke of the sense he gets from them that they are being motivated to register and vote because of Donald Trump. Standing before a picture of the billionaire candidate, Rep. Gutiérrez said the students, who are mostly Latino U.S. citizens, all want to know if their families are in danger of deportation or if their own citizenship is in jeopardy because of Trump.
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October 23, 2015
Press Release
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) said he is sad to hear that a condition of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) seeking the support of his conference to be elected Speaker of the House was to pledge that there will be no votes on immigration reform as long as President Obama is in the White House. While there were no real expectations that a vote would occur during the 114th Congress, the fact that Rep. Ryan had to make that promise is, for Rep. Gutiérrez, a further sign of the depth of the Republican Party’s Latino voter and immigration problems.
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