LOS ANGELES – Civil and immigrant rights leaders from the Latino and African-American communities today urged Congress and the Administration to remain focused on the passage of immigration reform and anti-poverty measures. They emphasized that while Congress continues to focus on important foreign policy and its work to avert a government shutdown, lawmakers must not use that as an excuse to push comprehensive immigration reform and anti-poverty measures off the agenda.

Despite other issues on the Congressional agenda, today’s press conference attendees stressed that Congress must understand that an overhaul in immigration policy is critical for our national and economic security. Currently, it is estimated that 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States.