HOUSTON, TX – Today, MALDEF filed suit against the City of Pasadena, Texas, challenging the city’s new voting system, which was adopted last November in a close election. The measure eliminated two of Pasadena’s eight single-member voting districts and replaced them with two at-large seats. The lawsuit, filed by Latino voters in Pasadena, argues that the new system is unconstitutional and violates the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting Latino voting strength.
News Releases
FEDERAL COURT REJECTS LATEST ATTEMPT TO CREATE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CONSTITUENTS THROUGH EXCLUSIONARY REDISTRICTING
AUSTIN, TX – Last week, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas dismissed Evenwel v. Perry, a lawsuit which attempted to force the Texas Legislature to redraw its Senate District boundaries based on the voting electorate rather than total population numbers. MALDEF sought to intervene in the case on behalf of the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus, five registered voters, and a U.S. citizen minor, but the court dismissed the case before ruling on the motion to intervene.
MALDEF PREVAILS IN TENTH CIRCUIT: WINS DECISION THAT KANSAS AND ARIZONA CANNOT BURDEN VOTER REGISTRATIONS
DENVER, CO – Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed a decision by the federal district court in Kansas, which ordered the federal government to add onerous voter registration requirements to the federal voter registration form. Today’s court of appeals decision concluded that Kansas and Arizona, which had sued to force the federal government to incorporate citizenship documentation requirements on the federal voter registration form, had failed to prove that the current voter registration requirements were inadequate and that non-citizens had registered to vote using the federal form.
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.
MALDEF POSITION ON ILLINOIS BALLOT PROPOSITIONS
JUDGE ONCE AGAIN REJECTS DEFENDANTS’ REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL IN MALDEF WESTMINSTER POLICE CASE
SANTA ANA, CA – The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California once again rejected a request for a new trial in the Flores v. City of Westminster case late last week. Additionally, the Court denied the Defendant’s claims that there was not substantial evidence to support the jury’s findings and verdict, and the court also awarded MALDEF and co-counsel Alexander Krackow + Glick LLP (AKG) $3.3 million in fees and costs.
SANTA FE COURT DECLARES EDUCATION A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AND ALLOWS LANDMARK EDUCATION CASE TO MOVE FORWARD
SANTA FE, NM – Yesterday, Judge Sarah Singleton, in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico, rejected the State’s Motion to Dismiss in Martinez v. State of New Mexico, a case brought by MALDEF on behalf of parents and students who are low-income, English Language Learners (“ELL”), and/or receiving special education services. In this foundational case, the students charged the State with violating their fundamental right to a sufficient education, and their right to equal protection and due process of the law as required under the New Mexico Constitution.
MALDEF POSITION ON OREGON BALLOT PROPOSITIONS
CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SEEK TO COMPEL KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATORY SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION POLICIES
BAKERSFIELD, CA – A coalition of civil rights legal advocates, including MALDEF, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc., Equal Justice Society, and Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc., today filed suit in Kern County Superior Court to compel Kern High School District (KHSD) to eliminate a variety of discriminatory disciplinary policies and practices that disproportionately impact students of color. The suit was filed on behalf of Latino and African American students and parents, as well as community members and community organizations, who have suffered the impacts of discriminatory expulsion and school assignment policies, and who have sought to bring equity to the KHSD system without success.
MALDEF AND NDLON FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY AND POLICE DEPARTMENT OF BALDWIN PARK FOR VIOLATION OF CALIFORNIA TRUST ACT
LOS ANGELES, CA – MALDEF, together with co-counsel from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) and the Immigrant Rights Clinic at the University of California at Irvine School of Law, today filed a lawsuit, Flores v. City of Baldwin Park, alleging that the Baldwin Park Police Department and the City of Baldwin Park unlawfully imprisoned Sergio Flores at the Baldwin Park Police station, detaining him solely on the basis of an “immigration hold,” in violation of the California TRUST Act.
MALDEF FILES LAWSUIT TO PROTECT CARWASHEROS FIRED IN ACT OF ILLEGAL EMPLOYER RETALIATION
LOS ANGELES, CA – MALDEF and the Wage Justice Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of two car wash workers — “Carwasheros” as they identify themselves — who were fired after participating in a wage class action suit against their employers. Previously, MALDEF prevailed in its efforts to ensure access to court in an ongoing class action lawsuit filed on behalf “Carwasheros” of three car washes operating in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The current lawsuit alleges that two of those defendants, Silver Wash, Inc. (doing business as Santa Monica Car Wash and Detailing) and Gold Wash (doing business as Bubble Bee Car Wash), have retaliated against two plaintiffs for taking part in the original class action suit.
MALDEF AND OTHER GROUPS FILE COMPLAINT DETAILING SEXUAL ABUSE, EXTORTION, AND HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT ICE FAMILY DETENTION CENTER IN KARNES CITY
SAN ANTONIO, TX – Attorneys from MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), the Immigration Rights and Civil Rights Clinics at the University of Texas Law School, Human Rights First, and the Law Office of Javier N. Maldonado, filed a complaint earlier this week 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.
TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT DECLARES CURRENT TEXAS SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEM UNCONSTITUTIONAL–AGAIN
AUSTIN, TX – Today, Travis County District Court Judge John K. Dietz issued his final judgment, declaring the current Texas school finance system inadequate, unsuitable, and inequitable for Texas school children under Article VII, Section 1 of the Texas Constitution, and in violation of the prohibition on a state ad valorem tax under Article VIII, Section 1-e. “Rather than attempt to solve the problem, the State has buried its head in the sand, making no effort to determine the cost of providing all students with a meaningful opportunity to acquire the essential knowledge and skills reflected in the state curriculum and to graduate at a college- and career-ready level,” Judge Dietz stated in his scathing rebuke of the school system. This long-anticipated ruling follows a three-week hearing earlier this year after Judge Dietz reopened the evidence in the wake of statutory changes made to the public education system during the 2013 Legislative session. On February 4, 2013, he issued a similar ruling from the bench following a three-month trial.
CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS FILE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT AGAINST KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND KERN COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
SACRAMENTO, CA – A group of civil rights advocates including California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc., Equal Justice Society, Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc., and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) today filed an administrative complaint with the California Department of Education (“State”) demanding that it directly intervene and investigate the illegal school funding allocations of over 6 million dollars by the Kern High School District (“Kern District”) and Kern County Office of Education (“Kern County”).
MALDEF, CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS URGE PRESIDENT TO ENSURE AFFIRMATIVE RELIEF FOR UNDOCUMENTED LGBTQ IMMIGRANTS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – MALDEF and twelve other LGBTQ, Latino, and Asian American advocacy and civil rights organizations yesterday sent a letter to President Obama, urging him to ensure that any affirmative relief for undocumented immigrants does not unfairly exclude members of the LGBTQ community. The letter comes in response to ongoing discussion surrounding the President’s announcement that his Administration is exploring avenues to provide affirmative relief to many of the undocumented in light of congressional inaction.