Letter to the Hon Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education - Request Meeting with Depatment of Education Secretary

Letter

Dear Secretary DeVos:

We write to extend an invitation to have you meet with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) before Congress departs for the August District Work Period. A meeting with CHC members will give you the opportunity to provide an update from the Department, listen to critical feedback from our members, and establish a much-needed dialogue on the problems currently facing our nation's public education system.

Within the past year, the CHC has had the opportunity to meet with other Trump Administration officials, including Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and General John Kelly, both in his former capacity as Secretary of Homeland Security and current position as White House Chief of Staff. The CHC has reached out to several cabinet secretaries, and we welcome and encourage their participation.

The Department of Education plays a vital role in the lives of the communities we represent, from administering disaster recovery aid in Puerto Rico and protecting the civil rights of all students, to fostering safe and inclusive campus environments and ensuring equitable access to a high-quality education. We wish to discuss these items with you as well as the many actions the department has taken since you became secretary nearly 16 months ago. Moreover, your recent comments on undocumented students at an Education and Workforce Committee hearing have raised concerns among our members. This will provide you with the opportunity to correct and clarify the department's ongoing adherence to Plyler v. Doe, which affirms the constitutional right of all children to a public K-12 education, regardless of a child's or a child's parent's immigration status. Given that the Hispanic community has been disproportionately impacted by these statements, it is critical that we meet with you to discuss how it impacts the children and families we represent.

Thank you for your full consideration of this request, and we look forward to having you join us to discuss the many important issues facing our education system and the impact it has on our community. To arrange the details of a meeting, your staff may contact CHC Executive Director, Alma Acosta, at Alma.Acosta@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-1164.

Sincerely,