WASHINGTON, DC – Gun violence is a crisis in the Latinx community. It is the leading cause of death for Latinx youth ages 15 – 19. Nearly 75,000 Hispanics were killed with guns in the United States from 2001 through 2021, and Hispanic/Latinx people are more than twice as likely to be killed by a firearm than white people. To identify and advance solutions to this crisis, 40 Latinx leaders from across the country met today with officials from the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, the Office of Public Engagement, and the Domestic Policy Council. 

The discussion at this historic gathering focused on research needs; the link between American guns trafficked into Latin America, regional violence and migration to the United States; culturally specific practices to heal the trauma gun violence creates; police violence; and more. Two Latinx gun violence survivors, Michelle Monterosa from California and Kim Rubion from Texas, spoke.

"Gun violence has devastated Latine communities for generations—whether in their home countries, on their journey to the United States, or in neighborhoods here that have long suffered from neglect and underinvestment," said Jose Alfaro, Executive Director of Community Justice. "To truly make our communities safer, we must address gun violence as the public health crisis that it is. As the only national gun violence prevention organization that focuses on Black and brown communities and led by a Latino, Community Justice is dedicated to ensuring that the communities most impacted by gun violence take the lead in creating and implementing solutions. We’re grateful to the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention for hosting us today and for its commitment to making Latine communities safer."

“Ending the gun violence crisis is a high priority for Latina moms and families. We worry each time our children go to school or to the park that they won’t come home,” said MamásConPoder Vice President Xochitl Oseguera.  “We shouldn’t have to live this way. We are enormously grateful to the Biden/Harris administration for hosting today’s meeting and for leading an extremely productive discussion. We see it as a beginning that opens the door to the kind of collaboration we urgently need to advance the policies that will make Latina moms, and the Latinx community, safer.”

"On average, more than 13 Latinos die from gun violence every day and gun deaths among Latinos have increased at nearly twice the rate of gun deaths nationally. Understanding these unfortunate realities in our community creates a pathway to meaning policy solutions that can save lives," said Vanessa Gonzalez, Vice President of Government & Political Affairs, GIFFORDS. "We are grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for hosting this important conversation and for their unwavering commitment to ending gun violence. Today was yet another example of the historic leadership we've seen on this issue and we look forward to the work ahead as we commit to strengthening this important coalition."

“As the fastest-growing demographic group in the U.S., Latinos are disproportionately impacted by the gun violence crisis, with nearly 75,000 Latinos killed by firearms in the last two decades. Our unique challenges, such as language access, residential citizenship status, and the trafficking of firearms abroad, demand tailored, equitable solutions. We must address these factors head-on to ensure interventions truly protect our communities," said Refujio “Cuco” Rodriguez, Chief Strategist & Equity Officer of Hope and Heal Fund.

The recommendations the Latinx leaders delivered are:

Executive Action on Gun Trafficking

• Curb Gun Trafficking to Latin America: Advocate for executive actions to stop the flow of illegal firearms to Latin America, reducing violence and migration.

• ATF Resources in Mexico: Increase ATF agents and cross-border cooperation to address gun trafficking.

• Human Rights & Arms Export: Apply human rights criteria to all U.S. arms exports, reviewing human rights violations databases before granting export licenses.

• Support for Haiti: Implement the recommendations from 65 Members of Congress to address gun trafficking from the U.S. to Haiti.

Language Access & Immigration

• Inclusive Language Access: Ensure gun violence prevention actions are accessible in multiple languages, including Spanish and indigenous languages.

• Support for Undocumented Communities: Provide resources for survivors, regardless of immigration status, ensuring protection for undocumented populations. 

• Systemic Collaboration: Engage DOJ, DHS, and other agencies to address gun violence with accurate Latinx community data.

Equitable Funding

• Fair Distribution of Resources: Advocate for equitable funding to Latinx community-based organizations (CBOs) and research on the impact of gun violence in diverse Latinx communities.

• Culturally Informed Support: Ensure mental health and healing support for Latinx communities is culturally rooted and multilingual.

Community Violence Intervention (CVI)

• Rural Community Focus: Ensure funding reaches rural communities often overlooked in national violence data, with a focus on race disparities.

• Survivor Support: Offer trauma-informed, multilingual support for survivors and undocumented communities. Career Support for CVI Workers: Provide cross-training in health services and trauma-informed care to strengthen the sustainability of CVI careers.

Suicide Prevention

• Multilingual Prevention: Implement suicide prevention strategies in multiple languages, including Spanish and indigenous languages.

• Culturally Informed Mental Health Support: Ensure mental health resources are accessible and tailored to non-English speakers and undocumented populations.

Healing & Trauma Support

• Institutionalized Trauma Healing: Include trauma-informed healing for CVI workers and culturally rooted healing practices for survivors in all future funding initiatives.

• Skill Development for CVI Workers: Ensure CVI workers have opportunities to acquire new skills and build sustainable careers.

Intimate Partner Violence & Gender Equity

• Data Accuracy: Standardize reporting on intimate partner firearm violence and improve the use of the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) to reflect the true impact of gun violence.

LGBTQ+ Latinx Communities

• Hate-Driven Violence Data: Ensure race and ethnicity data accurately captures firearm violence driven by hate against Latinx communities.

• Support for LGBTQ+ Undocumented Survivors: Guarantee access to compensation and resources for LGBTQ+ undocumented communities impacted by gun violence.

The Latinx leaders who visited the White House today will continue working to stop gun violence and make Latinx communities safer.