(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - With the renegotiated North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) taking effect on July 1, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) joined Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and 58 colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on him to work to secure the release of Mexican labor lawyer Susana Prieto Terrazas, who was arrested and detained by the State of Tamaulipas in Mexico on June 8, 2020 on trumped-up legal accusations.
The Members wrote: “We write to request that your department aggressively work to help secure the immediate release of imprisoned Mexican labor lawyer Susana Prieto Terrazas. As we approach the July 1 entry into force for the renegotiated NAFTA, the arrest of Ms. Prieto sends the wrong signal that the renegotiated NAFTA is not on track to deliver the improved Mexican labor conditions and thus diminished incentives for U.S. job outsourcing promised by this administration.”
Ms. Prieto has a long history of advocating for the labor rights of workers in factories near the U.S.-Mexico border. In her work, Ms. Prieto has demanded higher wages for workers in Mexican factories and defended workers protesting for proper health and safety measures to protect against COVID-19 in reopened facilities.
The letter to Sec. Pompeo is signed by Reps. Pascrell, Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-02), André Carson (D-IN-07), Judy Chu (D-CA-27), David N. Cicilline (D-RI-01), Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Danny K. Davis (D-IL-07), Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR-04), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ted Deutch (D-FL-22), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-03), Brian Higgins (D-NY-26), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Joseph P. Kennedy, III (D-MA-04), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Dan Kildee (D-MI-05), John Larson (D-CT-01), Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), Andy Levin (D-MI-09), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-08), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), Grace Meng (D-NY-06), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), Eleanor H. Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), David Price (D-NC-04), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Bobby L. Rush (D-IL-01), Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38), John P. Sarbanes (D-MD-03), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-03), José E. Serrano (D-NY-15), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-07), Albio Sires (D-NJ-08), Darren Soto, (D-FL-09), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY-03), Mike Thompson (D-CA-05), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), David Trone (D-MD-06), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Peter Welch (D-VT-AL), Susan Wild (D-PA-07).
A copy of the members’ letter is available here.
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