Court Cases Access to Justice Archives

EIGHTEEN CHICAGO RESIDENTS BRUTALIZED BY FEDERAL AGENTS DURING A MILITARY-STYLE IMMIGRATION RAID FILE LEGAL CLAIMS SEEKING ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE

May 13, 2026 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Freedom from Open and Obvious Bias and Racism, Press Releases And Other Statements

CHICAGO, IL – On Tuesday, a coalition of civil rights organizations submitted administrative complaints under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) on behalf of eighteen people who were unlawfully arrested and brutalized by federal agents during a military-style raid on their apartment building last fall during Operation Midway Blitz.

MALDEF TAKES STEP TOWARD CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF THREE U.S. CITIZEN SIBLINGS DETAINED BY ICE

May 1, 2026 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Freedom from Open and Obvious Bias and Racism, Press Releases And Other Statements

BROWNSVILLE, TX — A Latino civil rights organization is taking a first step toward a civil lawsuit and asking the federal government to pay damages of $2.5 million each to three United States citizens who were allegedly assaulted, unlawfully arrested, and detained by...

MALDEF TAKES A STEP TOWARD CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF U.S. CITIZEN DETAINED BY ICE

Jul 2, 2025 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Freedom from Open and Obvious Bias and Racism, Press Releases And Other Statements

LOS ANGELES – A Latino civil rights organization is taking a first step toward a civil lawsuit and asking the federal government to pay damages of $1 million to a United States citizen who was assaulted and unlawfully detained by federal immigration officers in front of a Home Depot.

ILLINOIS ENACTS LANGUAGE EQUITY BILL FOR ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

Dec 23, 2024 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Press Releases And Other Statements

(CHICAGO) – MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) partnered with Illinois state lawmakers to enact a law requiring interpretive assistance for people with limited English proficiency who have low incomes or who represent themselves in state administrative hearings.

JUDGE REJECTS TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL’S EFFORT TO SHUT DOWN HOUSTON NON-PROFIT

Aug 23, 2024 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Immigrants' Rights, Press Releases And Other Statements

(HOUSTON) – A Texas state judge denied Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to sue a Houston-based non-profit, according to an order entered on Friday. Today’s ruling prevents Paxton’s proposed lawsuit from moving forward and also denies Paxton’s request for a temporary injunction to shut down the non-profit.

MALDEF MOVES TO BLOCK TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL’S EFFORT TO SHUT DOWN HOUSTON NON-PROFIT

Aug 16, 2024 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Immigrants' Rights, Press Releases And Other Statements

HOUSTON – A Latino civil rights organization is asking a state court to reject Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to shut down a Houston nonprofit while his office pursues a legal challenge to the group’s charter.

MALDEF SUES MAN WHO LAUNCHED RACIST AND ANTI-IMMIGRANT TIRADE ON SANTA CLARITA STREET VENDOR

May 1, 2024 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Freedom from Open and Obvious Bias and Racism, Court Cases Immigrants' Rights, Press Releases And Other Statements

LOS ANGELES – A former public school teacher who launched a racist and anti-immigrant tirade against a Santa Clarita street vendor is being sued by a Latino civil rights group for civil assault and violating California civil rights laws.

COLORADO SCHOOL DISTRICT SUED FOR VIOLATING STUDENT’S RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH

May 25, 2023 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Education, Press Releases And Other Statements

DENVER, COLORADO – A Colorado school district’s decision to ban a student from wearing a sash at her graduation ceremony that honors her Mexican American heritage is unconstitutional, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

Federal Government Sued Over Intentional Cruelty at Georgia Immigration Center

Jun 11, 2021 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Immigrants' Rights, Press Releases And Other Statements

LOS ANGELES – A transgender immigrant held in solitary confinement for approximately seven months at a Georgia immigration detention center that is under investigation for abuse is suing the federal government.

Trump Administration Sued Over Intentional Cruelty at Georgia Immigration Detention Center

Dec 11, 2020 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Immigrants' Rights, Press Releases And Other Statements

ATLANTA – A transgender asylum seeker held in solitary confinement for six months solely because of his gender identity is suing the federal government.

MALDEF STATEMENT ON FEDERAL COURT RULING IN DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT ON CARES ACT

Aug 6, 2020 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Court Cases Immigrants' Rights, Press Releases And Other Statements

LOS ANGELES – A federal judge in Maryland has denied the Trump administration’s motion to dismiss a constitutional challenge to a provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) that discriminates against mixed-status married couples.

MALDEF Statement on Expedited Appeal in Census Lawsuit

May 31, 2019 | Census, Court Cases Access to Justice, Media, Press Releases And Other Statements, Voting Rights

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has agreed to expedite an appeal filed by MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) in a challenge to the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

MALDEF ASKS CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE KERN COUNTY D.A. CHARGES AGAINST LATINA SUPERVISOR

Jul 20, 2018 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Press Releases And Other Statements

LOS ANGELES – Civil rights attorneys are asking state officials to investigate Kern County prosecutors in connection with the recent filing of misdemeanor charges against a county supervisor.

MALDEF AND ADVANCING JUSTICE SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, CHALLENGING ADDITION OF CITIZENSHIP QUESTION TO 2020 CENSUS

Jun 1, 2018 | Census, Court Cases Access to Justice, Press Releases And Other Statements, Voting Rights

LOS ANGELES – The Trump administration’s eleventh-hour decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census violates the U.S. Constitution because it is racially discriminatory and could result in a severe undercount of minorities, according to a federal lawsuit filed today by nearly two dozen groups and individuals.

CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS’ STATEMENT ON COURT RULING BLOCKING SOUTH TEXAS COUNTY’S RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL SPEECH

Feb 28, 2018 | Court Cases Access to Justice, Press Releases And Other Statements

San Antonio, TX – A federal court has granted a request by MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) and TCRP (Texas Civil Rights Project) to temporarily block a 2018 rule adopted by the Commissioners Court of Starr County that prohibits “electioneering” during voting periods on properties owned or operated by the county.

Court Cases Access to Justice