Immigrants’ Rights

MALDEF strives to ensure all immigrants receive fair treatment under the law, and works to combat discriminatory policies in the private and public sectors.

Protecting Immigrants’ Rights

Throughout our history, we’ve been on the frontlines of some of the most important legal battles to protect immigrants’ rights, taking on unconstitutional federal, state, and local measures including California’s Proposition 187, Arizona’s SB 1070, and more recent restrictions in Texas in SB 4. We’ve challenged unlawful detention and raids, fought to protect the right of day laborers to seek work, and defended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative that offers temporary relief to young immigrants brought to this country as children.

Today, MALDEF continues to work to eliminate barriers that prevent immigrants from achieving full integration into society, and to target private anti-immigrant discriminators as well.

Immigrants’ Rights

MALDEF STATEMENT ON APPEALS COURT RULING ON DACA

Jan 18, 2025 | , ,

NEW ORLEANS– A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a district judge’s ruling that parts of the Biden Administration’s 2022 DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) rule is unlawful. However, the three-judge panel allowed the DACA rule to go into effect nationwide except for Texas. The decision also left in place the lower court’s decision allowing current DACA recipients, even in Texas, to renew DACA while the case is on appeal.

Status of Texas v. United States (DACA)

Sep 17, 2024 | ,

On October 10, 2024, attorneys with MALDEF, the State of New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Texas will present oral argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. The hearing involves a Texas-led challenge to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

See All Immigrants’ Rights Cases