PRESS STATEMENT

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact: Nativo V. Lopez

E-mail: nativolopez@sbcglobal.net

Telephone:  (714) 423-4800

Los Angeles, CA – The Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) and the Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana have been at the fore-front of the advocacy to outlaw the illegal towing of vehicles of individuals solely due to the lack of a driver’s license.  This practice is rampant throughout California, and municipalities have been found using vehicle towing as a budget revenue booster.  It is estimated that the city of Los Angeles receives above $60 million annually from the fines and auctions of confiscated vehicles from undocumented owners.

MAPA and HML expressed delight that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has finally agreed to a moratorium of vehicle towing and recognizes it as the equivalent of Arizona’s recently enacted law, SB1070.  The mayor has announced that he will march with hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their families and friends advocating for fair and humane immigration reform on Saturday, May 1^st, the now traditional MAY DAY immigrant worker’s march.

“I am delighted that Mayor Villaraigosa now understands that criticism of Arizona begins at home by declaring a moratorium of the retrograde policy of illegally towing the vehicles of hard-working immigrants.  It constitutes nothing short of robbery of the personal property of another, but conducted by the government under the color of law,” stated Nativo V. Lopez.

Both organizations and many others have advocated for Mayor Villaraigosa to suspend this policy and practice due to the obvious racial profiling used by local police officers who target immigrants during vehicle check-points or the pretext of some traffic violation.

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The Mexican American Political Association, a non-partisan advocacy organization, was founded in Fresno, California in 1963 and has chapters throughout California, and other states.  It is dedicated to the constitutional and democratic principles of political freedom and representation for the Mexican, Mexican-American and Latino people in the United States.  For more information, visit the MAPA website at www.MAPA.org.

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