FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2022
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Emily Morris, 213-457-7458
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NILC Calls for Immediate Resignation of LA City Council Members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon
LOS ANGELES — Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center – a national organization headquartered in Los Angeles that advocates on behalf of low-income immigrants and their loved ones – issued the following statement demanding the immediate resignation of Los Angeles City Council Members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon:
“NILC calls on Los Angeles City Council Members Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo to follow former Council President Nury Martinez and immediately resign from office. We condemn their dehumanizing and racist comments targeting Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Armenian, and LGBTQ+ communities.
“The leaked conversation between these elected officials and former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera demonstrates pervasive racism in their beliefs and in the execution of their duties. It also reveals a concerted effort to erase Black lives and voices through redistricting rooted in white supremacy.
“Martinez, de Leon, and Cedillo have forfeited their positional power, roles, and responsibilities to the people who elected them. They can no longer credibly represent the people of Los Angeles and our diverse communities.
“Angelenos deserve and demand more from leaders who are elected to represent us. It is only once Martinez, de Leon and Cedillo have taken full responsibility for their actions and are held accountable can the healing in our communities begin. This is especially critical at a time of such deep polarization when race and immigration are constantly used as wedge issues to divide our country. Los Angeles is home to one of the richest multi-cultural communities in the U.S., and this can be a transformational moment for the country.”
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