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Why members of the nation's oldest Latino rights group were blindsided by leaders endorsing Kamala Harris
Members of the the nation's oldest Latino civil rights group were stunned when the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) announced their endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
The organization had always stated that their engagement with politics would non-partisan, as written in Article III of their bylaws 'to maintain the League free of all involvement in partisan politics as an organization.'
They learned that leaders of the organization had filed a day earlier to launch the LULAC Adelante PAC, a political action committee where the leadership unanimously endorsed Harris.
The PAC is chaired by Domingo Garcia, a former president of LULAC who frequently clashed with members over his partisan politics.
The decision by LULAC to form a political action committee and endorse Harris shocked members of the historic organization
Oddly enough, Garcia previously fought with LULAC members for trying to politicalize the organization, reminding members in 2022 that the group 'has always been non-partisan.' He portrayed himself as a brave defender of the organization that was beset by a 'hostile takeover' for political reasons.
Now Garcia is leading the political action group, telling news organizations that the organization was 'stirred to action by concerns over the potential negative impact on Latinos' if former President Donald Trump is reelected.
That surprised Roy Morales, a member of the LULAC Council 4968 in Harris County, Texas.
'I was very shocked,' Morales told DailyMail.com.
He recalled the many times politicians asked for the organization's endorsement but were turned down because of the enshrined non-partisan nature of the group.
Telemundo news anchor Leticia Castro and former LULAC National President Domingo Garcia at an event
Roy Morales, a member of the LULAC Council 4968 in Harris County, Texas
Republicans, Democrats, and Independents were 'taken aback' by the political announcement on Friday, he said.
The PAC's assertion that Trump threatened the Latino community, Morales said, did not reflect his experience.
'That's their opinion,' he said, noting that 'young Latinos in Harris County, Texas have moved toward the direction of Donald Trump.'
News that the group had formed a political action committee was a shock to members, who had just met at the national convention weeks earlier, where it was not brought up or discussed.
'Why wasn't this brought up during the national convention a few weeks ago?' Morales asked.
There was no movement to amend the bylaws of the organization to clarify the role of the PAC and keep it separate from the existing organization. What was even more galling, was the PAC's use of the LULAC logo.
'If they are supposed to be separate, why are they using the logo?' he asked.
LULAC member Carmen Cavazos said she was used to the left-leaning tone from the top of the organization, but said she joined to support the values of what the group's mission and how it could help her community.
'The consensus across LULAC, especially our chapter, is we in no way shape or form condone that PAC was developed,' she said.
The sudden establishment of the PAC made it unclear who was funding it, until records are released later this year.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a conversation at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Leadership Conference
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris
She said there was bipartisan frustration with the decision to go political and endorse Harris.
'The Democrat chapters of LULAC are against this announcement because in-essence our bylaws are supposed to prohibit this,' she said.
LULAC CEO Juan Proaño, who took office in 2023, had already shifted the organization to a more left-leaning position, particularly on illegal immigration.
Proaño also raised suspicions about his political alliances, as a fundraising contractor for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the NAACP.
Morales was surprised that Proaño was commenting in favor of the PAC's decision - even though he was expected to be the leader of a non-partisan civil rights group.
Morales said the organization should remain focused on Latino families in the community, instead of partisan politics.
Members of the organization are now working quietly to vocalize separation from the LULAC PAC and reinstate the non-partisan nature of the historic organization.
'LULAC and itself as an organization does not condone what was announced on Friday, we do not endorse either party because we have to remain numeral by our bylaws,' Cavazos said. 'We will be clarifying this to the general public on some way shape or form.'
A LULAC press representative did not respond to a request from DailyMail.com for comment.