Subject: Re: Clinton¹s Fuzzy Position on Immigration Worries Activists | The Fiscal Times
From: Amanda Renteria <[email-masked]>
To: Robby Mook <[email-masked]>
Cc: Marlon Marshall <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 13:39:28 -0700

Leading by example is the right answer.  Happy to help in that effort.
Joel asked me about this and Oren and I just talked.  We can get it right.
AND, when we do, we need it to be out there.... it's a big deal.  I want
someone to write the story that other groups DEMS and Reps should see what
we do.  That would be really really helpful to the educated Latinos who
have become skeptical of Dems.

On Thu, Apr 16, 2015 at 10:56 AM, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>
wrote:

> for legal purposes, i'm not sure she should say anything about outside
> groups...i think we can/should talk about what WE are doing
>
> On Thu, Apr 16, 2015 at 8:20 AM, Amanda Renteria <
> [email-masked]> wrote:
>
>> Yes, it is a problem. The reality is that Libre is VERY good.  They have
>> finally figured out the FOX approach to Latinos.  I get that we can't match
>> them dollar for dollar, but we need to figure out a way to lead on messages
>> like this.
>>
>> I think this could be a real opportunity to show she is LEADING on our
>> party to invest in Latinos.  What if she were to come out and say something
>> about this.  It would go A LONG way with folks and especially those that
>> are talkers in Media.  We just need to make sure we have some Latino
>> consultants if we do it.  Thoughts?  I feel strongly that we need to avoid
>> these bad stories, but also that we can make a splash here and prove we are
>> "doing something" about it.
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 16, 2015 at 7:59 AM, Ann HRC <[email-masked]> wrote:
>>
>>> John & Amanda - See below. I'm sure you are already engaged in this
>>> problem. I know Maria Echaveste has been eager to help on Latino political
>>> side. Maybe she can help?
>>>
>>> We will keep plugging away at policy but this one is for political side.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Ann
>>>
>>>
>>> Ann O’Leary
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> (510) 717-5518 (cell)
>>> Twitter: @Ann_OLeary
>>>
>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>
>>> *From:* Marshall Fitz <[email-masked]>
>>> *Date:* April 16, 2015 at 4:49:00 PM GMT+2
>>> *To:* Kerri Sherlock Talbot <[email-masked]>
>>> *Cc:* Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]"
>>> <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
>>> *Subject:* *Re: Clinton¹s Fuzzy Position on Immigration Worries
>>> Activists | The Fiscal Times*
>>>
>>> Hey all, I assume you’ve already seen this piece, but it is a very real
>>> concern. I’ve been trying to raise the alarm bells about how dangerous the
>>> Libre Initiative is to anyone who will listen. (In fact, I asked my former
>>> colleague Angie Kelley who presented at the DA to raise this directly on
>>> her panel.) Guess it came in to focus at the meetings this week. And while
>>> I dislike the reporter, I think he captured the seriousness of this issue.
>>>
>>>
>>> Latino Leaders Frustrated At Liberal Donor Plan To Fund 35 Groups, Zero
>>> Latino Groups
>>>
>>> They say key battleground states with huge Latino populations,
>>> necessitate a boost in funding for Hispanic groups. Democracy Alliance
>>> says Latino funding will now be under a newly created “New American
>>> Majority” umbrella.
>>> posted on April 15, 2015, at 12:38 p.m.
>>> <http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo>
>>> Adrian Carrasquillo <http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo>
>>> BuzzFeed News Reporter
>>> Tweet
>>> George Soros, who helped launch Democracy Alliance. Virginia Mayo /
>>> ASSOCIATED PRESS
>>> It was billed as a big announcement, the Democracy Alliance, which
>>> advises wealthy liberal donors, unveiled a plan Monday to fund 35
>>> organizations to help Democrats take power power in the states by 2020 and
>>> fight back on issues like economic inequality, voting rights and climate
>>> change.
>>> But to Latino leaders watching, it seemed like more of the same: public
>>> statements that Latino voters matter, but a lack of investment when push
>>> comes to shove.
>>> “This is deeply troubling and we’re shocked,” said Arturo Carmona, the
>>> executive director of Presente, a 300,000 member strong organization.
>>> “There seems to be a pattern emerging in how the Democratic party is
>>> investing in Latinos across the board and how supporting organizations
>>> really say that the Latino vote matters but the actions don’t reflect those
>>> words.”
>>> “Given the importance of the Latino vote, it’s disappointing and
>>> confusing as to why the community isn’t being given more attention,” said
>>> Joe Velazquez, executive director of the NCLR Action Fund, the partisan arm
>>> of NCLR. He said he is presenting a proposal to the Democracy Alliance soon
>>> to be one of the organizations to get funding after the initial groups.
>>> BuzzFeed News reviewed a list of the 35 groups recommended for funding
>>> by the progressive donors. Two groups, the Center for Community Change and
>>> PICO National Network, do work on Latino issues and have been active on
>>> immigration. But no purely Latino advocacy organization was included.
>>> Other groups that were included on the list by the 10-year-old
>>> organization were progressive mainstays like Center for American Progress
>>> and Media Matters as well as black advocacy organization
>>> ColorofChange.org.
>>> Gara LaMarche, the alliance’s president, said no Latino groups raised
>>> these concerns to him, but he was glad to address them.
>>> He said that for three years, the Latino Engagement Fund existed, which
>>> raised $15 million during the last two election cycles. Now the newly
>>> created New American Majority fund will handle funding target toward
>>> Latino, black, women, and younger voters, he said.
>>> “This is partly a way to drive more money to it,” he told BuzzFeed News.
>>> “Or they can earmark to one specific group.”
>>> But a top Latino leader with knowledge of how Democracy Alliance has
>>> operated in the past said that while the money will come, it will be too
>>> late for major Latino efforts on the ground.
>>> “They wait until we’re in an election year and say ‘Now take this money
>>> and let’s get people on board,’ but a lot of that money comes too late for
>>> things like voter registration,” the leader said. “To be this close to 2016
>>> and not see one Latino organization, with the Latino vote being so crucial
>>> in determining the next president, I hope some reaching out can happen
>>> soon.”
>>> Latino strategists told BuzzFeed News the focus is of particular urgency
>>> because conservatives have gotten their act together, pointing to serious
>>> efforts by the Republican Party and the Koch brother funded LIBRE
>>> Initiative
>>> <http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/the-koch-brother-funded-latino-group-that-democrats-fear-and#.ykJeZqm2ob> to
>>> reach Latino voters in the Southwest and Florida.
>>> “The right is starting to spend extraordinary amounts of money on this
>>> stuff,” said longtime strategist and president of NDN, Simon Rosenberg.
>>> “They are putting together permanent institutional capacity that’s serious
>>> and modern that isn’t being met by folks on the center-left. It needs to be
>>> dealt with on our side.”
>>> Jose Parra, a former senior advisor to Harry Reid, pointed to two
>>> conversations that stayed with him — one with the political advisor to a
>>> major Democratic donor and one with a top Democratic political operative —
>>> that show how Latino outreach is often viewed by progressives.
>>> He said in both instances, white men told him that they understood the
>>> Hispanic community because they come from states with large Latino
>>> populations.
>>> On the contrary, he said, the ones that understand and build
>>> relationships are Latinos on the ground, which is why he believes Democrats
>>> should fund and create their own version of the LIBRE Initiative.
>>> But LaMarche from Democracy Alliance seemed unconcerned.
>>> “A lot of money from Democracy Alliance goes into Latino communities and
>>> exceeds what the Koch brothers are doing with LIBRE,” he said.
>>> Hector Sanchez, chairman of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a
>>> coalition of 39 of the top Latino organizations in the country, said in his
>>> experience democracy is expensive and investment in Latino communities lags
>>> behind every other group.
>>> “Everyone talks about the possibility of the Latino vote but there is no
>>> correlation in how parties and national infrastructures invest in Latino
>>> civic participation and promotion of basic elements of democracy like voter
>>> registration, voter education, GOTV and voter protection,” he said.
>>> The other top Latino leader was more succinct on Democracy Alliance’s
>>> actions.
>>> “It’s disappointing to see that in this cycle they would not yet be
>>> directly engaging Latino organizations with proven track records,” they
>>> said. “We need to start now.”
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Marshall Fitz
>>> 202-730-5943
>>> [email-masked]
>>> @marshallfitz
>>>
>>> On Apr 15, 2015, at 10:43 AM, Kerri Sherlock Talbot <
>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>
>>>  Hi everyone,
>>>
>>> Here’s a quick rough draft of talking points related to immigrant
>>> families and possible new administrative actions. Dan had mentioned
>>> yesterday that it might be useful to start kicking around some ideas. If
>>> this is a helpful starting point, I could further refine it and loop in
>>> Marshall because I know he has thoughts on it too. I think a statement like
>>> this at some point would go along way toward dispelling any concerns among
>>> advocates. While I agree that some of the factions in the Dream movement
>>> include people who will never be satisfied, I also think that there are
>>> some mainstream advocates who need more reassurance from the campaign on
>>> some of these key points below. I think it would generate a lot of
>>> excitement. Happy to discuss more. Thanks for considering.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> My commitment to immigration reform comes from my long-time commitment
>>> to families and children. First and foremost, I believe our immigration
>>> system must be reformed to reflect American’s belief in the importance of
>>> family. But as we wait for Congress to act and finally reform our system, I
>>> would take steps to make sure that families are protected.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> First, I would support and expand the Executive Actions that protect
>>> American families from unnecessary deportations.  I believe that ultimately
>>> the courts will uphold the Executive Action program and allow our
>>> government to prioritize deportations so that hard-working families can
>>> remain together.  These programs are critical as a first step toward
>>> reforming our system.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I hope to expand the Executive Action programs to ensure that all
>>> individuals have a chance to request relief from deportation through
>>> expanded individual deferred action adjudication.  Currently, individuals
>>> can request “deferred action” or relief from deportation through local
>>> immigration offices. This system is not affected by the litigation over the
>>> recent Executive Actions and could be expanded to allow people to more
>>> easily request deferred action and appeal denials of those requests. This
>>> would allow immigration officers to review individual cases to determine if
>>> the applicant merits deportation or a temporary reprieve from deportation
>>> due to strong community ties.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Second, I would ensure that the prosecutorial discretion memos are fully
>>> implemented so that immigration agents can remain focused on serious
>>> criminals rather than families. We need more training of immigration
>>> agents, better statistical tools to analyze our enforcement efforts, and
>>> additional clarity about how community ties should be balanced against past
>>> immigration violations. The Obama Administration has already made huge
>>> strides and I would like to build on their progress to ensure that our
>>> deportation efforts target the most serious criminals.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Third, I would end the incarceration of children. Detention centers and
>>> jails are no place for small children. We have children taking their first
>>> steps behind bars. This must end. I fully support this Administration’s
>>> efforts to send a strong message that we seek peace in Central America and
>>> we’re hopeful that the violence will end so that migrants may remain in
>>> their home countries rather than taking the dangerous trip to America. And
>>> I’m glad that far fewer children are making the journey to the U.S. because
>>> there are great perils that put them at risk of death or violence along the
>>> route. But for children who do arrive at our doorstep, we need to take
>>> their best interests at heart and follow our well-established laws. While
>>> these children go through our legal system and make a case before a judge,
>>> they should not be held in jail. There are more effective, efficient and
>>> less expensive ways to make sure that children show up for their hearings
>>> and comply with our laws such as through electronic monitoring systems and
>>> other alternatives to detention. It’s inhumane to continue to lock them up
>>> in detention and I would end this practice.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Fourth, I would continue to support immigrant integration efforts. As a
>>> Senator, I led the fight to support aspiring Americans as they seek
>>> citizenship. I would continue to spearhead efforts to make sure that our
>>> government fully supports English-language learning and the promotion of
>>> naturalization.
>>>
>>>   From: Marshall Fitz
>>> Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 9:47 PM
>>> To: Dan Schwerin, "[email-masked]", "[email-masked]"
>>> Cc: Kerri Talbot
>>> Subject: Fwd: Clinton¹s Fuzzy Position on Immigration Worries Activists
>>> | The Fiscal Times
>>>
>>>   From my Gmail . . .
>>>
>>>  Hey Dan,
>>>
>>>  Yeah, very unfortunate but don’t sweat it too much. Happy to talk more
>>> about this and try to map out the movement landscape for you. The Cliff
>>> Notes version - there are 3 camps within the DREAMer movement: UWD (the
>>> biggest, most established and strategic group), DRM (basically a public
>>> relations org, doing everything/anything to bring attention to the cause),
>>> and DREAM Activist (one of several radical groups ready to burn the city
>>> down). Need to be close to UWD, mindful of DRM, and ignore DREAM Activist
>>> et al.
>>>
>>>  The Rubio and Bush positioning provide an opportunity for HRC to stake
>>> out a crystal clear contrast that would marginalize the sniping of DRM (and
>>> similar groups) while setting the fault lines early. I’d strongly counsel
>>> in favor of doing so if someone was asking . . .
>>>
>>>  Let me know if you want to discuss . . .
>>>
>>>  -MF
>>>
>>>   *Marshall Fitz*
>>> VP of Immigration Policy
>>> American Progress
>>> 202-741-6378 (w)
>>> 202-730-5943 (c)
>>> @marshallfitz
>>>     Marshall Fitz
>>> 202-730-5943
>>> [email-masked]
>>> @marshallfitz
>>>
>>>
>>>    *From: *Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
>>>  *To: *Kerri Sherlock Talbot <[email-masked]>, Marshall Fitz <
>>> [email-masked]>
>>>  *Cc: *Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>, Ann O'Leary <
>>> [email-masked]>
>>>  *Subject: **Clintonıs Fuzzy Position on Immigration Worries Activists
>>> | The Fiscal Times*
>>>  *Date: *April 14, 2015 at 9:20:25 PM EDT
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/14/Clinton-s-Fuzzy-Position-Immigration-Worries-Activists
>>>
>>>   Clinton’s Fuzzy Position on Immigration Worries Activists
>>>
>>> BY ROB GARVER, The Fiscal Times, April 14, 2015
>>>
>>> One of the key issues in the 2016 presidential campaign is certain to be
>>> how the candidates propose to deal with illegal immigration, from border
>>> security to the treatment of undocumented individuals already in the United
>>> States.
>>>
>>> The question of immigration reform has particular salience to the large
>>> and growing Latino electorate, a group that leans heavily Democratic and
>>> makes up an important part of the coalition of voters that a Democratic
>>> candidate needs to assemble in a winning run for the White House.
>>>
>>> Right now, that candidate seems likely to be Hillary Clinton, who
>>> officially announced her presidential run on Sunday afternoon. Unless there
>>> is a massive and totally unexpected change in the general position of the
>>> Republican Party between now and November 2016, the one thing Clinton can
>>> be absolutely sure of is that she won’t be losing Latino voters to a
>>> Republican on the issue of immigration reform.
>>>
>>> However, being sure that voters won’t support your opponent is only half
>>> the battle – Clinton is going to need to inspire Latino voters to come to
>>> the polls in the first place. And right now, immigration activists say that
>>> she hasn’t given them much to work with.
>>>
>>> Cesar Vargas, co-director of the Dream Action Coalition, a group that
>>> pushes immigration reform friendly to the undocumented population was one
>>> of a pair of activists who memorably confronted Clinton
>>> <http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/15/politics/clinton-iowa-dreamers/> in Iowa
>>> last September, in an effort to pin her down on immigration issues.
>>>
>>> In an interview, Vargas said that at the time, Clinton appeared to be
>>> “not very well versed on immigration policy.”
>>>
>>> *Related: A Few Hours Late and Really, Really Short, Clinton Finally
>>> Announces
>>> <http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/12/Few-Hours-Late-and-Really-Really-Short-Clinton-Finally-Announces>*
>>>
>>> President Obama had recently decided to delay taking executive action to
>>> ease the threat of deportation for some undocumented immigrants, a move
>>> widely seen as a blatantly political decision ahead of the 2014 elections.
>>>
>>> “The President has broken his promise to the Latino community, and we
>>> wanted to know if you stand by the President's delay on immigration,”
>>> Vargas said to Clinton at the time.
>>>
>>> “You know,” Clinton said as she kept walking, “I think we need to elect
>>> more Democrats.”
>>>
>>> “It was just a partisan response, and is suggested she didn’t know
>>> exactly what to say,” Vargas remembers. And, he says, Clinton hasn’t done
>>> much since to convince immigration activists that she deserves their
>>> support.
>>>
>>> *Related: Hillary Runs Unopposed? Not So Quick, Dems Say
>>> <http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/12/Hillary-Runs-Unopposed-Not-so-Quick-Dems-Say>*
>>>
>>>
>>> When Obama eventually took the executive action he had delayed,
>>> protecting several million undocumented immigrants from the threat of
>>> deportation, she came out with a statement in support of the move.
>>>
>>> She has also expressed support for comprehensive immigration reform that
>>> includes a path to citizenship for the undocumented. In 2007, she supported
>>> an effort by then-President George W. Bush to reform the immigration
>>> system.
>>>
>>> But Vargas and the activist community, who feel somewhat betrayed by the
>>> Obama administration’s failure to move on immigration reform earlier in his
>>> tenure as president, are looking for more. Clinton, he says, has so far not
>>> provided enough detail or expressed enough commitment to satisfy his
>>> coalition’s members.
>>>
>>> “We learned out lesson in 2008 from Barack Obama, who promised us
>>> immigration reform in his first year,” said Vargas. “We can’t be
>>> star-struck.”
>>>
>>> *
>>> <http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/10/Why-Hillary-Everyone-Knows-Under-Attack>*
>>>  *Related: Why the Hillary Everyone Knows Is Under Attack
>>> <http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/10/Why-Hillary-Everyone-Knows-Under-Attack>*
>>>
>>>  He said, “The usual talking points are not going to be enough. Saying
>>> she supports comprehensive immigration reform and the president’s executive
>>> actions is not going to be enough. We need bold leadership that would
>>> expand executive action if Congress fails to act.”
>>>
>>> Clinton, he said, also needs to show the Latino community that she
>>> “understands the plight” of the immigrant community. Last summer, he
>>> pointed out, she said that the children being stopped at the Southern
>>> border ought to be sent back.
>>>
>>> “The majority of these children are eligible for asylum because many of
>>> them are escaping rape or violent death,” said Vargas, noting that the
>>> United Nations has said that the majority should qualify for refugee
>>> status.
>>>
>>> And then there was Clinton’s video announcement of her campaign, which
>>> prominently featured a pair of Latino brothers – speaking in Spanish – who
>>> were preparing to open a new restaurant.
>>>
>>> *Related: The Biggest Obstacle to Rand Paul’s 2016 Campaign
>>> <http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/06/Biggest-Obstacle-Rand-Paul-s-2016-Campaign>*
>>>
>>>
>>> “It was a little comical to us,” said Vargas that Clinton’s campaign
>>> chose to portray Latino immigrants unable or unwilling to speak English.
>>> “Why couldn’t she have two Latino brothers speaking English?” he asked.
>>>
>>> That’s one of many questions Latino voters and others concerned about
>>> immigration reform are likely to have for Clinton in the coming months.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>    -
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Amanda Renteria
>> National Political Director
>> Hillary for America #Hillary2016
>> 559-426-5756 (o)
>> 650-868-1188 (c)
>> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/renteriaforcongress> or Twitter
>> <https://twitter.com/AmandaRenteria>
>>
>
>

-- 
Amanda Renteria
National Political Director
Hillary for America #Hillary2016
559-426-5756 (o)
650-868-1188 (c)
Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/renteriaforcongress> or Twitter
<https://twitter.com/AmandaRenteria>