UnidosUS says its first-ever Border Plan reflects border concerns of Latinos

WASHINGTON, D.C. – UnidosUS has published its first comprehensive plan to address ongoing challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The group, formerly called National Council of La Raza, is the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the nation.

UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía said The Border Plan was developed in tandem with public opinion research that examined the sentiment and priorities of Latino voters on migration to the U.S.-Mexico border. 

She pointed out that the UnidosUS June 2024 poll on Latino voter attitudes revealed that more than three quarters of Hispanic voters are concerned about the situation in the U.S.-Mexico border and nearly half are very concerned. 

In response, Murguía said her group’s new plan calls for an approach that is firm, fair, and free of cruelty, combining increased investments in border security with policies to support legal migration and treat all people with dignity and respect.

“While relief for undocumented immigrants who have been living in our communities for years remains the top priority for the Hispanic electorate, UnidosUS is seeing for the first time a major rise in frustration with the situation at the border,” Murguía said.

“Latino voters see securing the border and helping immigrants both as elements to restore order. Our policy plan reflects what Latino voters say they want more than anything else on the border: an approach that is firm, fair and free of cruelty.”  

Murguía said said the The UnidosUS Border Plan crystalizes the balanced approach to immigration that Latino voters demand, combining increased investments in border security with policies to support legal migration and treat all people with dignity and respect. 

Specifically, UnidosUS proposes: 

1. Firm and enforceable rules at the border, including investments in U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) resources and staffing to combat human trafficking and drug smuggling, incentivizing individuals to seek asylum at official ports of entry and a metered, staged process for better managing the custody release of migrants. 
2. Giving migrants a fair shot at entering the U.S. legally through expanded legal pathways, increased staffing and resources for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to process migrant applications and allow for USCIS adjudication of asylum cases at the border. 
3. Investing in cruelty-free immigration policies within U.S. borders that provide relief to the long-term undocumented and promote self-sufficiency for new migrants. 

Murguía said UnidosUS wants the Biden Administration and its successor to tackle drug and human smugglers, provide relief to the undocumented, incentivize asylum seekers to come through ports of entry and work with regional partners to manage migration to the border. 

However, she said, UnidosUS believes that making more meaningful, long-term investments in the asylum system would more effectively tackle our border challenges than further restricting asylum access. 

“UnidosUS believes that the failure to solve our border challenges is only making it harder to fix our broken immigration system—it’s time we tackle it.”

UnidosUS members lock arms. (Photo credit: UnidosUS)

UnidosUS poll

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UnidosUS commissioned a national poll of Latino voters on immigration and the situation at the southern border. It was published in June. 

The poll found that while economic concerns continue to top the list of priorities for Hispanic voters, immigration has moved up on that list, with half of Latino voters stating the issue will have a big impact on their vote for President and Congress.

When thinking about the U.S. immigration system overall, Hispanic voters’ top priorities are:

• Providing a path to citizenship for people with long-term undocumented status (53%) and DACA recipients (42%).
• Cracking down on human smugglers (29%), increasing border security (28%) and increasing legal immigration (27%) form a second tier of priorities
• Finishing the border wall (15%) and deporting all undocumented immigrants (15%) are among the lowest priorities.

Latino/a voters are more frustrated by the lack of support for long-term immigrants (39%) than by the situation at the border (26%); 21% say both, 9% say neither.

That said, more than three quarters of Hispanic voters (76%) are concerned about the situation at the U.S./Mexico border, nearly half (46%) are very concerned.

They remain broadly sympathetic to immigrants arriving at the U.S./Mexico border (23% very sympathetic/62% sympathetic); 22% are not sympathetic.

On specific priorities for addressing the situation at the southern border, Hispanic voters identified the following as high priorities:

• Latino voters overwhelmingly prioritize cracking down on human traffickers and drug smugglers (82%) and notably, providing a path to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants (62%).
• The next tier of priorities includes expanding funding for additional border patrol and security (58%) and partnering with other countries to limit illegal immigration to the U.S. (53%).

Of measures related specifically to asylum seekers at the border,

• The highest priority is partnering with other countries to expand opportunities for asylum seekers to seek protection elsewhere (53%), followed by making it easier for newly arrived asylum seekers to obtain work permits (48%), allowing asylum seekers to apply for U.S. asylum from other countries (47%), expand legal pathways for people seeking safety in the US (47%) and increasing funding to speed up the processing time for asylum claims (43%).
• 47% see providing more resources and support to US communities receiving immigrants as a high priority.

“Our new poll is the first in-depth survey to examine how Latino voters actually feel about one of the most prominent and contentious issues in this election: immigration,” Murguía said.

“Like other Americans, Hispanic voters are frustrated by the situation at the border and are more likely than ever to support increased border security measures. But the overwhelming concern and priority of these voters continues to be relief for undocumented people with long-standing roots in this country. 

“This poll reflects that securing the border and helping immigrants are not incompatible for Latino voters—rather, they are both elements to restore order. The bottom line is that Latinos want immigration policies that are firm, fair and free of cruelty.”

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