U.S. Department of Justice Argument to Follow on the Same Day
PHOENIX, AZ – On Thursday, July 22 at 10 a.m. PST, MALDEF and a coalition of civil rights organizations will argue in a federal court in Phoenix that Arizona’s racial profiling law, known as SB 1070, should be blocked while their lawsuit against the unconstitutional measure is being litigated. Immediately after the hearing, the coalition will be available for questions from the press. The U.S. Department of Justice will also ask the court to block SB 1070 in a hearing at 1:30 p.m. PST on the same day.
The civil rights coalition filed its lawsuit challenging the extreme law on May 17, charging that it interferes with federal law, invites racial profiling, and violates various constitutional guarantees including the First Amendment, equal protection, and the right to travel.
The coalition includes the MALDEF, ACLU, National Immigration Law Center (NILC), Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC, a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice), ACLU of Arizona, National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The law firms of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP and Altshuler Berzon LLP are acting as co-counsel in the case.
| WHAT: | Court hearing on Friendly House, et al. v. Whiting, et. al and press availability with lawyers from the civil rights coalition. Clients represented by the coalition will also be available for interviews. |
| WHO: | Nina Perales, Southwestern Regional Counsel, MALDEF and Omar Jadwat, Staff Attorney, ACLU will present argument at the hearing.
Karen Tumlin, Managing Attorney, NILC Co-counsel from APALC, ACLU of Arizona, NDLON, and Munger Tolles; and plaintiffs from Friendly House, et al. v. Whiting, et al. will be available for press questions outside the courtroom. |
| WHEN: | Hearing at July 22 at 10 a.m. PST Press availability to follow immediately after hearing |
| WHERE: | Courtroom 200 (Special Procedures Courtroom) Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse 401 W. Washington Street Phoenix, Arizona |
For all media inquiries, please contact Laura Rodriguez.