National Hispanic Education Coalition

The Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC) unites 25 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for the nearly 50 million Latinos living in the United States and Puerto Rico. Co-chaired by MALDEF and the Migrant Legal Action Program, the HEC focuses upon federal legislative issues relating to education including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the Head Start Act, the Higher Education Act, adequate federal funding for education, and the educational concerns of English Language Learners. In each of these areas, the HEC strives to ensure that dialogue at the federal level regarding education issues reflects the education priorities of the Latino community.

Boycott Paramount Films

MALDEF is a vocal advocate for greater representation of Latinos in the film industry. We stand with the National Hispanic Media Coalition in a boycott of Paramount Pictures until the studio reverses its woeful record of excluding Latinos from its movies.

MALDEF STATEMENT ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ROLLBACK OF FEDERAL POLICY GUIDANCE ON CAMPUS DIVERSITY

LOS ANGELES  – The federal government announced today that it has rescinded policy guidance issued by the Obama administration to foster diversity in elementary and secondary schools and on college campuses. Please attribute the following statement to Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund):

MALDEF DECRIES ‘ZERO TOLERANCE’ TRAVESTY AND SEPARATION OF FAMILIES, CALLS FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS TO RESIGN

LOS ANGELES – Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), released the following statement today on the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration stance that has led to forced separation of families and horrific accounts of children being taken from their parents:

Everyone Counts – And Everyone Must Be Counted

Through our work on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, the California Complete Count Committee, the Illinois Complete Count Committee, and other entities, we’re pushing back on the Trump administration’s efforts to thwart a full and accurate 2020 Census count.