WASHINGTON, D.C. – Please attribute the following statement on the recommendations released Thursday by the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) on the use of private, for-profit immigration jails to Andrea Senteno, a legislative staff attorney with MALDEF. Senteno provided comment during a recent public meeting of the HSAC.
Immigrants’ Rights
MALDEF RELEASES INITIAL FACT SHEET EXPLAINING IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS UNDER PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP
MALDEF AND NDLON ANNOUNCE JOINT IMMIGRANT CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENSE EFFORT
MALDEF STATEMENT ON REPORTS OF POST ELECTION BULLYING AT CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS
MALDEF STATEMENT ON THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
MALDEF DENOUNCES SUPREME COURT FAILURE TO ACT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON IMMIGRATION
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 4-4 non-decision, failed to act on President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Today’s ruling creates no new law and does not decide whether DAPA and Expanded DACA are legal. Instead, it leaves in place a lower court block of the initiatives pending further litigation. As a result, the Jane Does, three undocumented Texas mothers who entered the case to defend the initiatives, will be unable to apply for temporary protection from removal. The Jane Does are represented by MALDEF, which argued in the appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court in April.
MALDEF MOURNS VICTIMS OF HATE-DRIVEN ACT OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM IN ORLANDO
MALDEF STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACTION ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
MALDEF PRAISES U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION ON ITS CALL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF FAMILIES IN DETENTION CENTERS AND AN END TO CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING OF IMMIGRANT FAMILY DETENTION
SAN ANTONIO, TX – Yesterday, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), an independent and bipartisan agency that advises the President and Congress on civil rights matters, released its report on the state of civil rights at immigration detention centers in the United States. MALDEF testimony is cited throughout the report, which outlines a series of federal and constitutional violations at immigration detention facilities operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. MALDEF and other groups filed a complaint last year with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanding the immediate investigation of and swift response to widespread allegations of sexual abuse and harassment at the detention center in Karnes City.
CALIFORNIA GOV. BROWN SIGNS MALDEF-SPONSORED BILL TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM ARBITRARY DISCRIMINATION
SACRAMENTO, CA – Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law SB 600, a bill authored by Senator Richard Pan, barring discrimination based on citizenship, language, or immigration status. MALDEF initiated and sponsored the legislation, and thanks Gov. Brown for signing it into law. The law clarifies the Unruh Civil Rights Act, and provides clear notice to business proprietors that they cannot discriminate in public accommodations.
CALIFORNIA GOV. BROWN SIGNS MALDEF-SPONSORED BILL PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF CHILD VICTIMS IN COURT
SACRAMENTO, CA – Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB 560, a bill authored by Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez barring the consideration of a child’s immigration status in civil actions. MALDEF initiated and sponsored the legislation, and thanks Gov. Brown for signing it into law. The law protects minor children who are victims of torts from having their immigration status exposed, explored, and considered in seeking judicial recourse for the harms that they have suffered.
STATEMENT ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP HEARING IN U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – MALDEF President and General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz released the following statement in response to today’s hearing in the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, which questioned the role of “birthright citizenship,” a longstanding emblem of equality and inclusion:
CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLYMEMBER DAVID CHIU INTRODUCES BILL EXTENDING PROTECTIONS AGAINST IMMIGRATION-RELATED EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
SACRAMENTO, CA – As MALDEF continues to challenge discriminatory practices across the country against individuals seeking employment under the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program (DAPA) and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), California Assemblymember David Chiu last week introduced AB 1065, a bill extending state-law employment protections against immigration-related discrimination, a bill that MALDEF sponsors.
LGBT AND CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS: DON’T EXCLUDE LGBT IMMIGRANTS FROM AFFIRMATIVE RELIEF
WASHINGTON, D.C. – LGBT and civil rights organizations strongly urge President Obama not to exclude long-resident LGBT individuals from the forthcoming program of administrative relief to protect from deportation some of the nation’s population. Last week, media outlets reported that a program was under consideration of relief for upwards of five million undocumented individuals—but only for those with children who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. This approach would disproportionately exclude the 267,000 undocumented LGBT individuals who have significantly lower rates of parenthood and higher rates of victimization in our nation’s immigration enforcement system.
NATIONAL LATINO LEADERS CALL ON PRESIDENT TO FULFILL PROMISE WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY TO HALT DEPORTATIONS FOR MILLIONS
WASHINGTON, DC – MALDEF and The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 39 of the nation’s preeminent Latino organizations, calls on President Barack Obama not to delay in fulfilling his promise to grant affirmative relief from deportation to as broad a range of undocumented immigrants as possible. The president, who previously committed to take action before the end of the summer, then said he would delay such action until after Tuesday’s mid-term elections. This delay has already resulted in an estimated 70,000 additional unnecessary deportations.