As President Donald Trump prepared to deliver his first State of the Union address – and boast about all the ways in which he has terrorized the Hispanic community, Latino Victory Fund held its second Latino Political Summit. The event gathered the nation’s progressive Latino leaders to discuss how to empower Latino candidates and take back Congress in 2018. Joining Latino Victory were Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, Senator Bernie Sanders, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, and former HUD Secretary Julian Castro.

The Second Latino Political Summit also marks the beginning of veteran political strategist Luis A. Miranda’s chairmanship of Latino Victory. Miranda will lead the organization as it pushes back against the Trump Administration and mobilizes voters behind Latino candidates.

“Since his inauguration, President Trump has attacked Latinos’ voting rights, separated our families, and willfully ignored the plight of three and a half million Americans in Puerto Rico,” said Latino Victory Board Chair Luis Miranda. “Today, the nation’s Latino leaders and our closest allies set a course to dismantle his dangerous, hateful legacy.”

“Latinos will play a critical role in the 2018 midterms, and not only as voters. We’re already witnessing a groundswell of promising candidates ready to take an active role in our democracy,” said Cristóbal J. Alex, president of Latino Victory. “The lessons learned at today’s summit will help us better support our candidates and lay the groundwork for a Latino wave in November.”

“The Trump Administration destroyed DACA, threatened Dreamers with detention and deportation, and is aiming to enact hardline immigration policies while attempting to shut out the voices of the Hispanic community from the conversation,” said Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Even I had to crash a meeting at the White House just to ensure all Americans have a seat at the table. This summit will help us define a path forward so that our legislative bodies begin looking more like the communities they represent so that no voice is left out.”

“Trump’s administration has been nothing but chaos. The Party of Lincoln is dead and the Republican Party is now the Party of Donald Trump, Roy Moore, and Joe Arpaio. But we’re not here to sit around and watch them fall down. We’re here to rise up,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “Democrats are back with a vengeance and we will continue to work with allies like Latino Victory to elect representatives who stand up for our community in every ZIP code across the country.”

“One year into the most divisive Administration in recent memory, we are at a defining moment for Latino political engagement. We must continue to energetically defend America’s values from the President’s daily attacks,” said former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro. “Latino Victory’s summit has set the pace for cooperation between progressives to ensure that we’re doing everything possible to elect and turn out Latinos this November.”