Voces Unidas hosted a meeting with Colorado U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper and Latino community leaders from the Roaring Fork Valley on Thursday, June 27 in El Jebel.
Residents from several mobile home parks from Parachute to Basalt shared their views and concerns about water quality, the need for more tenant protections, the lack of affordable housing options for Latinos and the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
Sen. Hickenlooper listened as residents recounted stories about the challenges they continue to face in these ski and resort communities, which depend on Latinos as the primary source of labor. Leaders shared how they are unable to drink water in their homes because of its yellowish color and bad smell, forcing residents to replace faucets, water heaters and other appliances regularly due to the poor water quality. Residents also shared stories about the frequent increases in lot rents in mobile home parks and the lack of tenant protections from predatory practices.
Leaders also reminded Senator Hickenlooper of the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Many long-term Roaring Fork Valley residents who work in Aspen and Vail have yet to receive a work permit, protections from deportation and a pathway to citizenship. Local leaders thanked the senator for his work on immigration and reminded him that he needs to do more.
Voces Unidas played a critical role in the Here to Work campaign, which called on President Biden to use his executive power to grant relief for the undocumented community, which led to the two Executive Orders he signed recently. While these actions are good for some 500,000 undocumented spouses of U.S. Citizens and potentially thousands of Dreamers who graduate with a college degree and have a job offer, we still do not have any relief for the millions of other long-term immigrants who have been here for many decades.
To learn more about our federal policy work or participate in these actions with members of Congress, please email olivia@vocesunidas.org.
