The presidential aspirations of Hilary Clinton would require, like any hopeful, the Latino vote which is significant enough to swing any election. Recognizing that she has to make impact moves, the former Secretary of State has enlisted immigration activist Lorena Praeli as her Latino Outreach Director.
It is a well thought out decision when you run down Praeli’ credentials on the issue of immigration. Praeli was herself an undocumented resident here for 13 years. A member of DREAMer, she has been the voice in the wilderness so to speak on the issue of immigration and citizenship. Amanda Renteria, the Political Director of “Hilary for America National Political” was specifically excited to have Praeli on the team.
“Her courage and perspective in the fight for Latino families across the country is the next step in our campaign to make sure Latinos are not living in fear of deportation.”
Clinton has gone on record as saying that she supports a full and equal citizenship for undocumented immigrants, implying that anything short of this will provide what she referred to as “code for second-class status. Praeli, from Peru, is the face of this issue. She lost a leg at two, came to the U.S. at ten, and worked as a housekeeper and graduated from Quinnipiac University as summa cum laude.
It was here where she admitted her undocumented status and joined DREAMer. She obtained her green card in 2012 while other family members have retained no legal status. She challenged President Obama and his wife on the subject putting her into media headlines and putting them on notice that DREAMers were free agents that were looking at potential candidates to back.
Hilary Clinton, by this attempt to reach out will also serve as a valuable asset when she battles Republican Jeb Bush, who has a Mexican wife, and Marco Rubio, whose is of Cuban descent, are looking to place a foothold among Latinos for 2016.
