News Releases
MALDEF STATEMENT ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHICANO MORATORIUM
LOS ANGELES – Fifty years ago, thousands of peaceful protesters took to the streets of East Los Angeles to draw attention to the disproportionately high number of Mexican Americans drafted and killed in the Vietnam War and the fight for Latino civil rights. The rally turned violent after police arrived. Those killed included journalist Ruben Salazar, who was covering the struggles facing the Latino community across the Southwest.
MALDEF STATEMENT ON WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY AND 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE 19th AMENDMENT
LOS ANGELES, CA – On Women’s Equality Day, the nation commemorates the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution granting women the right to vote. However, when the amendment was ratified 100 years ago, the same barriers – Jim Crow laws, English-only ballots, poll taxes, voter ID laws — that kept men of color from voting also applied to Latinas and Black women. It wasn’t until 1965 with the signing of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits voting discrimination based on race, color and national origin that Latinas and Black women began to experience real access to the ballot. In 1975, the VRA was extended to include protections for language-minorities, further protecting the right to vote for Latinas.
MALDEF STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF GRACE MONTAÑEZ DAVIS
LOS ANGELES, CA – MALDEF mourns the passing of former board member Grace Montañez Davis, who died at age 93 earlier this week. In 1975, Davis became the first Mexican American woman to serve as deputy mayor of Los Angeles. An activist for Latino civil rights, Davis was a loyal supporter of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) and served on its Board of Directors in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
MALDEF WARNS ARIZONA SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF PLYLER VIOLATIONS
LOS ANGELES, CA – A Latino civil rights group warned two Arizona school districts on Friday that enrollment forms seeking information about citizenship status violate the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that guarantees every child the right to a public K-12 education regardless of immigration status
CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS EXPAND LAWSUIT CHALLENGING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ATTACK ON CENSUS
MALDEF STATEMENT ON FEDERAL COURT RULING IN DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT ON CARES ACT
MALDEF STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S COMMENTS SUGGESTING DELAY OF 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
MALDEF STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S MEMO ON DACA
LOS ANGELES – Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s new memo that seeks to eliminate new applications of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and limit renewals.
U.S. Citizenship is not Required for Legal Name Change in Indiana
MALDEF SUES NATIONAL BANK FOR LOAN POLICY THAT DISCRIMINATES AGAINST CERTAIN IMMIGRANTS
MALDEF STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S UNLAWFUL EXECUTIVE MEMORANDUM
LOS ANGELES, CA – Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) issued the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s memorandum to the Secretary of Commerce that seeks to alter the required count of every person for the purpose of reapportionment by excluding some immigrants.