News Releases

MALDEF Condemns Anti-Immigrant Murders in Florida

Feb 28, 2009 | , , ,

WASHINGTON, DC – In the early hours of February 26, Dannie Baker, a 60-year-old Florida resident, left his townhouse armed with a rifle, walked across the complex to a neighboring unit, and opened fire on a quiet gathering of young, unsuspecting Latino residents in Miramar Beach. When the rampage ceased, two individuals were found dead, and three others critically injured. All five victims were Chilean students participating in a foreign exchange program.

MALDEF Pays Tribute to National and Community Leaders at 10th Annual Washington, D.C. Awards Gala

Feb 25, 2009 |

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization, celebrated its 10th Annual Washington, D.C. Awards Gala, recognizing leaders in the public and private sector who have been critical forces in advancing the goals of the community and providing social justice for Latinos.

Federal Judge Finds City of Waukegan Violated the First Amendment Rights of City Protestors

Dec 24, 2008 | ,

CHICAGO, IL– The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and Miner, Barnhill & Galland announced that yesterday a federal district court judge in Chicago reminded the City of Waukegan, Mayor Richard Hyde and Police Chief William Biang that the First Amendment is alive and well. According to MALDEF Regional Counsel Ricardo Meza “a United States District Court Judge held that the City of Waukegan violated the constitutional rights of two of the plaintiffs and sufficient evidence exists for the claims of the remaining plaintiffs to go to trial.”

Court Denies Texas Education Agency’s Efforts To Stall Students’ Rights To Equal Educational Opportunities

Dec 20, 2008 | ,

AUSTIN, TX – Earlier today, a federal district court denied the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) request to put on hold the court’s order that requires TEA to remedy its language programs for English Language Learner (ELL) children across Texas in the long-standing case, US v. Texas. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the Multicultural Education, Training and Advocacy, Inc. (META), on behalf of LULAC and the GI Forum, hotly contested TEA’s Motion to Stay Proceedings Pending Appeal filed just weeks ago and urged the Court to hold TEA to the current deadline of January 31, 2009.

MALDEF Urges Supreme Court To Permit Communities To Create Diverse Schools

Dec 5, 2008 | ,

Washington, DC – Today, school districts, civil rights organizations and educators urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold local school districts’ voluntary integration authority. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) filed an amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of 16 national and local Latino organizations. At issue in the two consolidated cases, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education is the continued authority of local school districts to take voluntary action to reduce racial segregation and isolation in their schools.

MALDEF Urges Supreme Court To Permit Communities To Create Diverse Schools

Dec 5, 2008 | ,

Washington, DC – Today, school districts, civil rights organizations and educators urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold local school districts’ voluntary integration authority. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) filed an amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of 16 national and local Latino organizations. At issue in the two consolidated cases, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education is the continued authority of local school districts to take voluntary action to reduce racial segregation and isolation in their schools.