Latinos across the United States—whether born here or not—are confronting a profound, generational crisis. At the heart of this struggle lies the question of racial identity and belonging in America. While many Latinos have historically been hesitant to engage in explicit conversations about race, Donald Trump and the MAGA movement have forced the issue into the open. They have placed the non-white identity of most Latinos at the center of their political project—turning racial exclusion into a rallying cry.
Yet tragically, much of our Latino leadership remains asleep at the wheel. Many of our so-called national organizations—The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), among them—still treat this as merely an immigration issue. But this is not simply about immigration. This is about race.
The annual conference, which takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, this year, presents a rare and powerful opportunity to influence the national Latino political agenda. With more than 7,000 members and approximately 2,400 attendees—including members of Congress, U.S. Senators, city council members, school board members, and college trustees—the conference brings together the highest concentration of Latino elected and appointed officials in the country.
NALEO has the potential—if it chooses—to mobilize tens of millions of dollars in support of Latino communities and shift the national narrative. By re-centering the agenda around justice, dignity, and real protection for our people, NALEO can play a transformative role in this moment. If the organization evolves, our communities stand to gain much-needed protection and power.
It is about who gets to be considered American. And in this arena, Trump and MAGA are not just talking—they are winning. Their rhetoric and policies are not theoretical. They are playing out in daily acts of state harassment, ICE raids, de-naturalization proceedings, and surveillance of Brown communities across the country.