BOSTON — Over 130 Latinx elected officials and community leaders today released a letter highlighting how Ed Markey has delivered for Latinx and immigrant communities across the state and country. The letter also announced the signatories’ strong endorsement for the Senator’s re-election.

“As the coronavirus disproportionately ravages Latinx communities, Ed Markey has continued to work with local leaders to better understand our unique needs during the pandemic,” the letter said. “He is a true ally and advocate for the Latinx and immigrant community in Massachusetts and beyond. He is by our side, understanding that bills with direct impact on our local communities mean just as much as those that propose broad national change.”

“This election places our community at the center of policy. It’s essential we elect someone who stands with us. It’s crucial that we keep Ed Markey in the Senate, and when we vote on September 1st, we must consider that we’re not just voting for him as a candidate. We are also voting to ensure the Latinx community is heard, protected, and thrives,” the letter continues.

“I am proud to have the support of these incredible leaders from across the state,” Senator Ed Markey said. “Their advice, direction, and hard work have been an important element of the success of our campaign to date. I work hard for them, and I pledge that my actions in the United States Senate will prove worthy of their support.”

The letter comes after several Latinx leaders this week announced their support for Senator Markey’s re-election including State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, and Suffolk County Register of Probate Felix D. Arroyo.

With the applications for mail-in ballots already sent out, the continued addition of new endorsements shows the grassroots momentum building around Senator Ed Markey’s re-election message, proving he’s a progressive leader with the track record and bold ideas we need now.

In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Ed Markey was the first Senator to call on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately halt needless deportations and release from detention all immigrants who pose no public safety threat, and introduced the Immigration Enforcement Moratorium Act to halt the Trump administration’s harmful immigration enforcement activities. Ed Markey continues to fight for comprehensive immigration reform that would guarantee a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in our country.

The text of the letter can be found below:

AQUÍ CON MARKEY!

SENATOR ED MARKEY STANDS WITH THE LATINX COMMUNITY

The Latinx experience in the United States is one full of systemic inequities, from environmental racism to income inequality to food insecurity. We are constantly shouting from the rooftops for the necessary changes that will allow our communities to truly thrive in Massachusetts, but our calls often yield no response. The 2020 U.S. Senate primary election is an opportunity for us to keep someone in Congress who listens to us. Senator Ed Markey has shown time and time again that his legislation is informed by his values. Ed believes that the children of underserved communities deserve equal access to education, that frontline communities deserve clean air and water, and that our diversity is what makes this country great. That is why we believe deeply in him, the work he has accomplished, and what he will do during six more years of a continued partnership with us.

In the wake of the Columbia gas explosions, while our large Latinx community in Lawrence suffered the brunt of that disaster, Senator Markey showed up to do the work needed. When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and the federal government abandoned the island, Ed supported the island’s recovery efforts each step of the way. When the Trump administration announced its plan to terminate Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Ed Markey was on the front lines, denouncing this atrocity. Senator Markey has been standing up for our Latinx communities in Massachusetts and across the country, which is why it is so important that we keep him in the Senate.

Senator Markey’s efforts to work with us as partners to do the legislative work necessary for our prosperity has not gone unnoticed. The senator’s father grew up in a triple-decker in Lawrence and was the son of immigrants. Given his lived experience, the Lawrence gas explosions and the plight of those affected was very personal to Ed. With Congresswoman Lori Trahan, Ed introduced The Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act in order to strengthen pipeline safety standards and increase the civil penalty for violations of those standards from $200,000 to $20 million. The bill was named after Leonel Rondon, the young man who lost his life during the explosions. Ed helped put pressure on gas companies to ensure that they uphold a higher standard of safety, and within a year of the explosions, Columbia Gas paid nearly 25,000 claims—96% of those filed—totaling almost $100 million.

The population of Lawrence is 80% Latinx and it is often overlooked when it comes to infrastructure protections. Ed’s actions to ensure the safety of those of us who live near these pipelines showed that he cares about eradicating the environmental racism that has plagued us for so long. Ed also fought with Puerto Ricans in their fight for the fiscal autonomy of the island. In 2016, Ed voted against the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), which imposes unlivable austerity measures and an unelected fiscal control board on the island. In turn, he co-sponsored a real alternative that would provide comprehensive debt relief for Puerto Rico—the U.S. Territorial Relief Act. After the devastating hurricanes of 2017 in Puerto Rico, Ed traveled to the island to meet with locals, and survey the damage. He advocated for long-term housing solutions for hurricane survivors, introducing the Housing Victims of Major Disasters Act with Senator Elizabeth Warren. After the 2020 earthquakes in southwestern Puerto Rico, Ed met with Puerto Rican leaders in Springfield to learn what policy changes could help the island and our Massachusetts communities make a full long-term recovery.

Ed’s advocacy for Latinxs doesn’t stop there. He also stands up for immigrant rights, fighting the Trump Administration’s every threat against our immigration system. He is a strong advocate for passing a clean DREAM Act and the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and in Emergency (SECURE) Act to provide a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers and Temporary Protective Status recipients. Ed understands the necessity for comprehensive immigration reform to protect the 11 million immigrants in the United States. Just this fall, Senator Markey teamed up with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley to defend Medical Deferred Action when the Trump Administration repealed it.

As the coronavirus disproportionately ravages Latinx communities, Ed Markey has continued to work with local leaders to better understand our unique needs during the pandemic. He is a true ally and advocate for the Latinx and immigrant community in Massachusetts and beyond. He is by our side, understanding that bills with direct impact on our local communities mean just as much as those that propose broad national change.

This election places our community at the center of policy. It’s essential we elect someone who stands with us. It’s crucial that we keep Ed Markey in the Senate, and when we vote on September 1st, we must consider that we’re not just voting for him as a candidate. We are also voting to ensure the Latinx community is heard, protected, and thrives.

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