Immigrants rights group endorses Biden-Harris ticket

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) Action Fund and its Immigrant Power PAC on Saturday threw support behind Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).

The Biden-Harris campaign announced the endorsement in a press release, with CHIRLA saying it wanted to support “a President and Vice President who respect and understand the immigrant community and are committed to seeing immigration reform across the finish line.” 

“We chose decency over mean-spiritedness, inclusiveness over racism, democracy over plutocracy,” CHIRLA Action Fund President Angelica Salas said in the press release. 

“All the years of organizing, walking precincts, talking with and listening to Latino voters have led to a critical and historic moment when immigrants are mobilizing and are ready to cast their vote, exercising their long-held power,” Salas continued. “And after four years of mistreatment, disregard, and incompetence from the current White House, our community is prepared to indicate their choice for an administration that is willing to work for all who live and contribute to this nation.” 

Harris called the endorsement an “honor,” and reiterated the campaign’s message that this election is a “fight for the soul of our nation.”

“As the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, I have seen and experienced firsthand the promise of America,” Harris said. “Joe and I will fight to restore the rights of immigrants, to keep families together, to protect DREAMers and prioritize legislation that will provide a pathway to citizenship.”

Harris called CHIRLA “a tireless advocate for immigrant communities across the country” and added that the campaign’s “path to victory runs through the Latino community.” 

This marks the California-based nonprofit’s first ever endorsement in a presidential election. Last month, the group announced the creation of the Immigrant Power PAC to help elect candidates who support immigrant rights legislation to local, state and federal offices. 

Latino voters are expected to turn out in record numbers in the November elections, with voting advocacy group Voto Latino reporting last month that it reached 280,000 new voter registrations for the 2020 electoral cycle. The group announced at the time that it is aiming to register half a million new voters by Election Day.