April 28, 2010
In This Issue
- LatinoJustice PRLDEF to file Amicus challenging Arizona Law
- Watch LatinoJustice Live
- Save the Date: June 22
- Register for our Education Programs
LatinoJustice PRLDEF to file Amicus challenging Arizona Law
LatinoJustice PRLDEF is preparing to file an Amicus Curiae brief on behalf of Latino and other Civil Rights Organizations challenging Arizona Law SB 1070.
SB 1070, which was signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on April, 23, is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the legislative session ends this week.
The law makes it a misdemeanor to lack proper immigration documents in Arizona. It requires police officers, if they form a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is undocumented, to determine the person's immigration status. Another provision of the new law makes it a crime for an undocumented person to be in Arizona.
“This is a blatant attempt to ignore federal authority over matters of immigration and to drive Latinos out of Arizona,” said Cesar Perales, President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “Latinos throughout the country are outraged by this law and want us to take legal action.”
The law is similar to a number of local laws and ordinances LatinoJustice PRLDEF has fought in localities like Hazleton, Pennsylvania and Riverside, New Jersey.
In Riverside, a restrictive immigration ordinance penalized anyone who employed or rented to an undocumented immigrant. LatinoJustice PRLDEF filed a lawsuit against the city forcing them to withdraw the ordinance.
In Hazleton, LatinoJustice PRLDEF stopped the city from deploying an anti-immigration ordinance that would have led to the same racial profiling feared in Arizona. In the Hazleton case, the United States District Court found that “due process applies to all persons within the United States, including aliens, whether their presence here is lawful, unlawful, temporary, or permanent.”
Despite legal challenges announced by LatinoJustice PRLDEF and other civil rights groups, many advocates are concerned that other states will follow Arizona’s lead and pass similar laws.
A Texas lawmaker has already announced she plans to push for a law similar to Arizona's. Texas State Rep. Debbie Riddle has said she will introduce the measure in the January legislative session.
Watch LatinoJustice Live!
Since Arizona’s announcement of SB 1070, there has been a huge surge of interest in scores of immigration rallies scheduled for Saturday, May 1. One of the biggest events will be at Union Square in New York City.
The LatinoJustice Youth Civic Engagement Network will be there, doing a live two-hour webcast from Union Square focused on May Day events, immigration, and reaction to the Arizona Law.
Six producers will be set up in Union Square Park and broadcast live from the May Day rally in order to give voice to the needs of our immigrant communities. Youth Network Coordinator Julia Gonzalez has recruited a special set of producers who will talk about immigration, the DREAM Act, immigration reform, the Arizona law and give personal insight into the immigrant experience.
Special guests include Award-Winning Producer Carlos Sandoval who will act as a roving reporter and will provide his expertise in broadcasting and film.
The broadcast can be seen live from noon to 2 pm on the LatinoJustice Live! channel on USTREAM. If you are in the area, please come by and offer your support. You can also follow the rally on LatinoJustice Live twitter - follow @latinojustice.
Join us, bring your friends and organizations and help us spread the word about the much needed change our communities are due! Join our live broadcast and the NYC immigrant rights march and rally!
May 1st @ 12 pm Union Square, NYC Studio will be set up inside the park off of 16th street and Union Square East. Click here for Google view.
Email Julia at jgonzales@latinojustice.org for more information or to get involved!
SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 22, 2010
To honor Latinas who, like former LatinoJustice PRLDEF Board member Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, have opened up new professional and political pathways for their peers, we are hosting an awards breakfast June 22, 2010 from 8:00am – 10:00 am at the Yale Club of NYC, honoring these Latina Trailblazers:
Rossana Rosado, Publisher & CEO, El Diario La Prensa; Natalia Martin, Attorney and Director of Diversity, Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP; Anna Carbonell, Marketing Strategist and former VP, Press & Public Affairs, NBC Universal and VP, Press & Public Affairs at WNBC.
Tickets to the event are $150. For more information, contact dmedina@latinojustice.org or click here.
Interested in going to law school? LSAT and LawBound registration are now open
We are now accepting registrations for our LSAT Prep Courses for the October 2010 LSAT Exam. The deadline to register for classes is May 21, 2010. The schedules and registration form are available here.
LatinoJustice PRLDEF is excited to announce the sixth consecutive year of our successful pipeline initiative, LAWbound®, a comprehensive program focused on increasing the number of Latinos who successfully stay on the path to law school.
The LatinoJustice PRLDEF Pre-Law Pipeline Programs introduce prospective law students to legal methods, expose students to different aspects of the legal field, and provide networking and mentoring opportunities
Applications for LAWbound are available here.