Harris’ Presidential Bid Gets Growing Support From Latino Advocacy Leaders

Leaders of some of the country’s most prominent Latino and immigrant rights advocacy organizations are voicing support for Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidential Democratic ticket.

Backing from Latinos, one of the fastest-growing voter groups in the country, could be crucial for Harris in a potential general election matchup with former President Donald Trump, especially in key swing states.

Angelica Salas, who directs the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said Harris “has demonstrated herself to be an energizing, bold, and courageous leader.”

“She is a champion for the immigrant community, giving voice to our pressing need to update the nation’s outdated immigration laws,” Salas said in a statement that also thanked President Joe Biden for “his decades of service.”

Biden endorsed Harris minutes after he announced he was dropping out of the presidential race on Sunday. In just 24 hours, Harris has received a growing number of endorsements from California Democratic leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, and appears to be sailing smoothly toward the nomination when convention delegates meet in Chicago next month.

Endorsements from influential Latino leaders could be critical. Latinos are projected to make up nearly 15% of all eligible voters nationwide in November, reaching 36.2 million — a new high after two decades of growth, according to the Pew Research Center. California is home to the largest share, with a quarter of the nation’s Latino eligible voters.

And given the community’s youth, every election cycle sees a jump in new Latino voters; 17.5 million Latinos are expected to cast a ballot this year, a quarter of them for the first time, according to UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization.

UnidosUS Action Fund, the organization’s political arm, endorsed Harris on Monday in a post on X and urged “all Latinos and all Americans to support Kamala Harris for President.”

“We are excited, and I think, from the reaction you’re seeing sort of on the grassroots level and on social media today, the Latino community is excited,” Rafael Collazo, executive director at UnidosUS Action Fund, told KQED.

“Vice President Harris has a proven track record of leadership dating back 15 plus years in her various leadership positions representing California. And she’s been a trusted partner that we believe will continue to open doors of opportunities and access for the Latino community around economics and a variety of issues that Latinos care about,” he said.

Biden was expected to tout a low unemployment rate among Latinos during a keynote address at the organization’s annual conference earlier this month in Las Vegas, part of his efforts to court the Latino vote. However, the president missed the appearance after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Collazo said the organizations’ own polling suggests the top concern for most Latino voters is the rising cost of living and other economic anxieties. Abortion rights and a “balanced approach” to the southern border are also important issues, Collazo said, with most supporting a legalization pathway for longtime undocumented immigrants who have a positive impact on the country.

“Even Latinos that are more conservative on border enforcement issues largely reject the demonization of Latino immigrants … and they’re not in favor of mass deportation, which was essentially the centerpiece for the [Republican National Convention] last week,” Collazo said.

Last month, Biden announced a new executive action that will help eligible undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country.

Some organizations that advocate for immigrant rights, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, have also been critical of and sued the Biden administration over its attempts to restrict access to asylum for immigrants who cross the border unlawfully.

Republicans have already started running ads against Harris over the administration’s handling of the southern border.