Marielena Hincapié Receives Univision Award for Commitment to Latino Community

Corazón Leadership Award One of Two Awards Presented Yearly, One to an Individual, the Other to an Organization

MIAMI — National Immigration Law Center Executive Director Marielena Hincapié has received Univision’s “Corazón Award” for 2013 in honor of her commitment to the Latino community. The media company, which honors one organization and one individual each year, cited Hincapié’s leadership at the National Immigration Law Center as a key reason she received this award.

“With Marielena at the helm, the National Immigration Law Center has become the country’s preeminent policy and legal organization that examines immigration issues through the lens of low-income immigrants,” said Muzaffar Chishti, the chair of the board of the National Immigration Law Center. “Whether appearing on MSNBC or speaking at a community forum, Marielena is a trusted expert who can explain complex legal issues in English and Spanish. This makes her an invaluable asset to today’s immigrants’ rights movement.”

Hincapié assumed leadership of the National Immigration Law Center in 2008 after serving as the organization’s director of programs. Under her tenure, the National Immigration Law Center has grown to become a powerhouse for civil rights litigation, leading challenges against SB 1070, Arizona’s notorious racial profiling law, and suing to restore access to driver’s licenses for DREAMers.

The organization also serves a key advocacy role in the current immigration reform debate, translating legislative text and advocating for a broad, inclusive, and direct road to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million immigrants living and laboring without proper documentation.

“Univision is the most trusted news source for the Latino community, and I am both humbled and honored to receive this award,” said Hincapié. “As an immigrant from Colombia, my commitment to ensuring basic rights for all Americans, no matter where they were born or how much they earn, isn’t just professional; it’s personal as well.”

After the awards ceremony, Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos interviewed Hincapié in a segment that aired on the network’s “Al Punto” program yesterday. The interview can be seen here.

Established in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center is the only advocacy organization in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families. NILC uses a variety of tools, including policy analysis, litigation, education and advocacy, to advance its mission. Over the past three decades, NILC has won landmark legal decisions protecting fundamental rights, thwarted policies that would have devastated the lives of low-income immigrants and their family members, and advanced major policies that reinforce our nation’s values of equality, opportunity, and justice for all.

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