Immigrants’ Rights

MALDEF advocates for equal treatment of immigrants in the public and private sectors and works to preserve their due process and civil rights.

Immigrants’ Rights

MALDEF STATEMENT ON NEW RULE MAKING DACA RECIPIENTS ELIGIBLE FOR ACA HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

May 3, 2024 | News Releases, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

LOS ANGELES – The Biden administration’s new rule granting recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) eligibility for health care insurance will go into effect today.

MALDEF STATEMENT ON GUILTY PLEA IN EL PASO MASSACRE

Feb 9, 2023 | News Releases, Public Policy, Public Policy Freedom from Open and Obvious Bias and Racism, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

LOS ANGELES – A Texas white nationalist who murdered 23 people and injured nearly two dozen more during a mass shooting in 2019 at a Walmart in El Paso pleaded guilty Wednesday to 90 criminal counts, including 45 counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The confessed shooter admitted that he targeted the Latino community and chose to carry out the massacre in El Paso because it was a border city. Under a plea agreement, the white nationalist will be sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms.

MALDEF STATEMENT ON THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF PLYLER v. DOE

Jun 15, 2022 | Court Cases Education, Court Cases Immigrants' Rights, News Releases, Plyler v. Doe, Public Policy, Public Policy Education, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

LOS ANGELES – Today marks the 40th anniversary Plyler v. Doe, of one our nation’s most consequential constitutional decisions and a singular achievement in the history of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund).

MALDEF STATEMENT ON AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION’S ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION SUPPORTING COMPLETE APPORTIONMENT COUNT

Feb 15, 2022 | Census, News Releases, Public Policy, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

LOS ANGELES – The American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates yesterday approved a resolution urging federal agencies to “follow laws and adopt policies to ensure that all persons in each state, regardless of immigration status, are included in the apportionment count used to redistribute seats in the United States House of Representatives following each decennial census.” The resolution was presented to the House of Delegates by MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) President and General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz, who is a member of the ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice.

MALDEF ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAM TO COMBAT OPEN BIAS AND RACISM ON ANNIVERSARY OF DEADLIEST HATE-MOTIVATED ATTACK ON LATINOS

Aug 3, 2021 | News Releases, Public Policy, Public Policy Access to Justice, Public Policy Freedom from Open and Obvious Bias and Racism, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

LOS ANGELES – Two years after the deadliest hate-motivated attack on Latinos in the United States took place in El Paso Texas, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) is launching a new initiative to combat bias and racism against Latinos.

MALDEF STATEMENT ON BIDEN IMMIGRATION REFORM PROPOSAL

Jan 21, 2021 | News Releases, Public Policy, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Biden administration today sent lawmakers an immigration reform proposal that seeks to address some of the punitive policies put in place by the previous administration and to move forward on long-needed reforms.

MALDEF STATEMENT ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHICANO MORATORIUM

Aug 30, 2020 | News Releases, PP Voting Rights, Public Policy, Public Policy Access to Justice, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

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 DEFEAT OF RACIST REP. STEVE KING IN IOWA PRIMARY

Jun 4, 2020 | News Releases, Public Policy, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

LOS ANGELES – This week voters in Iowa’s 4th District chose to oust Steve King as their representative to Congress. King has a long history of embracing racist and nativist views.

MALDEF STATEMENT CONDEMNING TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION PROCLAMATION

Apr 23, 2020 | News Releases, Public Policy, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

(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 Donald J. Trump’s order today imposing severe limits on immigration to the United States, with few exceptions:

MALDEF STATEMENT ON APPOINTMENT OF FORMER LEADER OF ANTI-IMMIGRANT GROUP TO HELP ESTABLISH DETENTION OVERSIGHT OFFICE

Jan 30, 2020 | News Releases, Public Policy, Public Policy Immigrants' Rights

(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 a news report that Julie Kirchner, a former leader of FAIR, an anti-immigrant hate group, has been appointed to establish an ombudsman office that handles complaints of civil rights violations in immigration detention centers:

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Immigrants’ Rights