In the Trump era, Latino advocacy is riddled with discouraging disunity

It appears that the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is not so united after all. The group’s president, Roger Rocha Jr., has faced tremendous backlash from many of the group’s 145,000 members after he wrote a letter endorsing the White House’s hardline immigration framework. Since then, LULAC has censured him and demanded that he resign. Even if Rocha refuses to step down, the group’s top leadership has declared that Rocha is effectively out as president.

This whole messy episode is embarrassing for everyone involved. Rocha seems to be a rogue president out of touch with his own organization. LULAC is making headlines because of its apparently flawed internal procedures and dysfunctional leadership. Meanwhile, the Latino community has to contend with the unfortunate spectacle of infighting and discord within its oldest civil rights organization.

{mosads}Rocha touched off this firestorm by sending a January 28th letter to President Trump congratulating him for a “reasonable framework” on immigration reform and border security, and thanking him for “taking the lead” on these issues. While the letter was sent on LULAC letterhead and gave the impression that it was an endorsement of Trump’s immigration proposal, Rocha did not consult with LULAC’s board, staff, or general membership before sending it. When Rocha wrote the letter, he said, he wrote it at the request of the Trump administration and did not intend for it to become public — as if that were a legitimate defense.  

The fallout from the letter was swift. LULAC members angrily protested Rocha’s action, and the hashtag “#FueraRocha” (Fire Rocha) trended on social media. LULAC issued an official statement rejecting Rocha’s letter.

“We do not believe that the DREAM Act should be coupled with any additional border enforcement measures or the elimination of family visa categories, since the bill by itself represents the best of American values, and gives blameless young people the chance to succeed and contribute to our country,” wrote LULAC’s National Executive Committee. The CEO of LULAC, Brent Wilkes, took the additional step of issuing his own statement, noting that Rocha’s endorsement of Trump’s immigration framework is “in clear contradiction to the policies voted on by our members.” Some members of LULAC wanted Rocha to be impeached as president.  

But this controversy reveals some uncomfortable truths about LULAC and the state of Latino advocacy in the age of Trump.

LULAC policy manager Juan Perez told Talking Points Memo that the organization’s bylaws do allow for Rocha to write a statement on his own without checking with the group’s other leaders. Maybe that is one loophole that LULAC should consider closing.  

Although Rocha apologized for his letter and called it “the biggest mistake of my life,” the damage has been done. Consider that outside of regional and Hispanic media, LULAC rarely makes national headlines. Lately it has, for all the wrong reasons. The Washington Post, the Associated Press, NBC News Latino, and numerous other outlets all ran stories about LULAC being in turmoil and “in chaos”. That is hardly the kind of publicity that any civil rights organization wants, especially a Hispanic group at a time when Latinos feel under siege by the Trump presidency. By any measure, Rocha’s letter represents a public relations disaster. How can any Latino advocacy group call for unity among Hispanics when there seems to be disunity among its own ranks?  

What’s more, conservative lawmakers like Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) seized on Rocha’s letter as an endorsement of Trump’s immigration policies. In fact, virtually every major Latino advocacy group (including LULAC) opposes Trump’s immigration framework, which include $25 billion for funding a wall on our southern border and revamping our legal immigration system.  

Sadly, this fiasco flies in the face of LULAC’s 89 years of advocating for Latino progress, equality, civil rights, and justice. LULAC has councils across the country that hold voter registration drives, health fairs, and raise money for scholarships. In 1945, it filed the Mendez v. Westminster School District lawsuit, which ended segregation in California public schools, and provided the legal framework for the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education. Just last month, LULAC’s historic “clubhouse” in Houston, Texas, was designated a national treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This dustup also threatens to overshadow LULAC’s upcoming National Legislative Conference and Awards Gala in Washington, D.C., on February 14.  

Rocha erred in sending his unauthorized letter of support to the Trump administration. If he wants to support Trump’s agenda, he should do so as a private citizen, not as president of LULAC. And when it comes to immigration, LULAC may want to get its own house in order before it takes on the White House.

Raul A. Reyes is an attorney and contributor to NBCNews.com and CNN Opinion. Follow him on Twitter @RaulAReyes.