June 2008

In This Issue

• Naturalization Delays: Latinos Sue to Force Government to Complete Naturalization Process
• David Arroyo Elected New Chairman of PRLDEF
• PRLDEF launches LatinoJustice Network
• Education Events
• PRLDEF Annual Gala to Honor Our Legacy
• PRLDEF and Celia Cruz
• New Network Engages Latinos in Fight for Civil Rights
• Dream Team of Legal Interns Joins PRLDEF

Naturalization Delays: Latinos Sue to Force Government to Complete Naturalization Process

PRLDEF filed a class-action lawsuit in March on behalf of Latino legal permanent residents seeking to force immigration authorities to complete hundreds of thousands of naturalization petitions in time for the new citizens to vote in November.

Milanés v. Chertoff charges that undue delays by the government in granting citizenship will deny more than 1 million applicants, mostly Latinos, of the right to vote.

PRLDEF is working with co-counsels Weil, Gotschal, Manges, and the New York Legal Assistance Group.

“During this time of wide-spread anti-Latino, anti-immigrant sentiment, Latinos across the country want the right to have their voices heard, but many will be denied the opportunity to participate in this year’s election.” said Cesar Perales, PRLDEF’s President and General Counsel. “Many have been fingerprinted, passed background checks, and paid their application fees. Many have passed their English literacy test, proven their knowledge of our nation’s history and still their citizenship is being withheld.

Despite Congress’ instruction that citizenship applications be processed within six months, hundreds of thousands of people are still awaiting a decision.”

While it used to take an average of eight months for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process applications, a nationwide backlog has pushed the waiting time back to an average of 14 to 16 months forcing millions of people to live in a state of limbo.

And many legal permanent residents have had to wait even longer than 16 months. Omar Farfan, a decorated veteran of the U.S. Navy, spent three years waiting for a decision on his naturalization application. In that time he was unable to apply for the federal government jobs he desired. Now a widower, Farfan said he needs the better career opportunities and economic stability that come with citizenship.

“I need this for my family, for my kids,” he said. “They depend so much on me. I’m the person that brings the food to the table.”

Farfan’s wait finally ended a month ago. Since becoming plaintiffs in the lawsuit, five of the class representatives have had their applications adjudicated and have taken and passed their exams.

And as many as one hundred thousand more immigrants could attain citizenship if the lawsuit is successful. Approximately 1.4 million legal permanent residents applied for citizenship in 2007 alone, according to USCIS.

“Thousands of immigrants won’t be able to take part in the most wonderful opportunity our government offers us—the ability to participate in the democratic process—if the Court does not grant the relief sought by our clients.” said Foster Maer, one of PRLDEF’s attorneys on the case.

The suit sets Sept. 22, 2008 as a deadline for USCIS to grant applicants citizenship so that they can register to vote in time for the 2008 elections. PRLDEF and co-counsel have filed a motion for preliminary injunction and class certification. The parties are currently engaged in expedited discovery and a court hearing has been scheduled for July 9 in the southern district Federal Courthouse by the Hon. Judge Lawrence McKenna.

PRLDEF is acting with the support of national Latino organizations, including the National Council of La Raza, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, in order to ensure that thousands of other law-abiding, hard-working residents like Farfan can fully participate in the upcoming elections and in American society as a whole.

David Arroyo Elected New Chairman of PRLDEF

David Arroyo feels that as the new chairman of PRLDEF his immediate task is to not do anything too radical.

“This ship is going in the right direction and my short term task is to keep it on course," said Arroyo, who was elected chairman at the organization’s most recent board meeting. "Our financial position is strong. And we continue to very effectively leverage our resources. Our professional staff is sharply focused on advocating for our clients and helping aspiring law students."

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Vice President of Legal Affairs at Scripps Networks doesn’t see room for improvement. He cited more lawyers, increased fundraising, more education programs and expansion as critical to PRLDEF’s growth and continued relevancy.

"In the coming years, PRLDEF will be expanding its reach, and building its ties to communities up and down the Atlantic seaboard, in response to demographic trends," Arroyo said. "At the same time, we will remain steadfast to one of our core missions: to encourage Latino college students to consider a career in the law. Developing these future leaders of our profession is very important to us."

Arroyo has been on the board for only two years, but during that time PRLDEF recovered from some tough times to regain its position as one of the premiere Latino civil rights organization in the country.

Former chairman Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon, a former US ambassador to Chile in the Clinton administration, recruited Arroyo as part of his campaign to reconstitute the board with younger members. The board also focused on fiscal responsibility, pro bono partnerships and fundraising during his term.

PRLDEF has been on the forefront of fighting anti-immigration ordinances, ICE raids and naturalization delays during the past few years. PRLDEF succeeded in litigating important cases in Mamaroneck and Hazleton. More law firms joined the pro bono program and fundraising increased.

“We are poised to grow right now and David and the board will bring great passion and expertise to our future plans,” said Cesar Perales, PRLDEF’s president.

Arroyo manages litigation, intellectual property, employment, bankruptcy, and regulatory matters involving his company’s cable television and broadband media businesses. Before joining Scripps Networks, Arroyo practiced as a commercial trial lawyer at a global law firm, and early in his career he clerked for a federal judge.

He is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Michigan Law School, where he served as a Contributing Editor of the Michigan Law Review.

He also serves on the boards of the City Bar Justice Center and the Association of Corporate Counsel, New York Chapter. He previously served on the board of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two young children.

PRLDEF launches LatinoJustice Network

The next generation of Latino leaders has a new tool to help them get involved in the fight for civil rights. LatinoJustice, PRLDEF’s online civic engagement network, connects young Latino activists across the country, and helps engage them in the fight for social justice.

LatinoJustice encourages young activists to organize and take action in support of Latino civil rights. The network helps young leaders carry out civic engagement projects, and enables them to produce positive change in their communities. Members use facebook and MySpace to get the word out about events, recruit volunteers for action, and discuss social justice issues.

Launched in mid-April, the network has already recruited over 300 members from over 30 different states. And the response has been very positive.

“It’s great to see this on Facebook,” wrote Diego from Boston.

“I look forward to working with you in moving forward with our community on these human rights issues,” wrote Nitza from the Bronx."

Education Events

The PRLDEF Education Division offers informative workshops and events for prospective and newly accepted law students.

Upcoming Events

Our 10th annual How to Succeed in Law School Workshop will be held at Mayer Brown, LLP on Saturday, August 2. Seats are limited. To RSVP or get further information about our programs please contact Sonji_patrick@prldef.org by July 25.

LAWbound applications are still being accepted. The deadline has been extended to Thursday, July 3. LAWbound® summer academy gives college freshmen and sophomores the unique opportunity to get mentoring and training from the nation’s top legal professionals in New York City.

Our 26th Annual Law Day is scheduled for Saturday, October 18, at Pace University. Online registration will be available in late summer. If you would like more information, please contact Maritza Maldonado, at (212) 739- 7517.

PRLDEF Annual Gala to Honor Our Legacy

PRLDEF will honor the best and brightest of the legal profession October 28, 2008 during the organization’s Annual Gala. The event, this year themed "LatinoJustice," will honor PRLDEF's extraordinary 36 year legacy.

PRLDEF will honor Pfizer with the Corporate Leadership Award for promoting diversity throughout the company.

Paul Zavala Esq., of General Motors, will be honored with the Lucero Award, given to a guiding star in the Latino legal community.

Salome Galib, PRLDEF’s Development Director indicated that the event is the organization's major fundraiser and is expected to draw over 500 people as it did last year, "Not only do we raise money for our programs but we get to celebrate those who also champion Justice for Latinos. Our event is known for its Latin music, dancing and just plain fun" said Salome.

Tables range in price from $10,000 to $50,000. Individual tickets range from $1,000 to $5,000.

The black-tie event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt New York, located at 109 E. 42nd St., between Park and Lexington avenues.

PRLDEF and Celia Cruz

Associates for PRLDEF, a group of young Latino attorneys, has joined forces with the New York International Latino Film Festival to host a screening of Celia, The Queen. The feature- length documentary about the life of Cuban music legend Celia Cruz will be shown Friday, July 25 at the Directors Guild of America, located at 110 W 57th St.

The voice of Celia Cruz, arguably the most influential woman in Cuban music, symbolized the soul of a nation and forced down barriers of racism and sexism. She radiates on screen as her legacy is revisited in this intimate and inspiring documen- tary. Featuring interviews with Quincy Jones, Andy Garcia, and Wyclef Jean. Spanish with English subtitles.

Contact Salome Galib at 212-739-7511 for more information.

New Network Engages Latinos in Fight for Civil Rights

The network capitalizes on the growing power of young Latinos, the country's fastest growing demographic. Approximately 60,000 Latinos turn 18 every month in the United States, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. With their growing numbers, Latino youth stand to exert an important influence over civic society in the coming years.

“This generation plans activities, talks about what’s on its mind and makes friends in a different way. It is also a generation that is eager to make a difference,” said PRLDEF President and General Counsel Cesar Perales. "We are asking these young activists to become leaders in their communities: Leaders in the fight for justice and equal opportunity at a time when Latinos are facing a barrage of prejudice from the media, from politicians and from many other people in this country."

So far, LatinoJustice has sponsored two successful projects: A get-the-word-out campaign for the May 1 national day of action for immigrants rights, and, recently, a “night of 1,000 conversations” meeting about the effects that naturalization delays are having on immigrant communities.

The first project allowed hundreds of young leaders from across the country to share information on where and how to get involved in nationwide rallies and marches held on May 1.

The second project, hosted at PRLDEF offices, brought young leaders from New York together as part of a national campaign to discuss the overreach of the Department of Homeland Security and how it is undermining civil liberties.

Plans are currently underway for a major, six- month-long project in New York that will help strengthen young Latino and immigrant leaders across the state. Meanwhile, the network continues to connect young leaders for voter registration drives, actions against ICE raids, and meetings supporting immigration policy reform.

For more information, visit LatinoJustice MySpace or Facebook.

Dream Team of Legal Interns Joins PRLDEF

Adriana LaFaille, UT Law School

“I am excited to be a part of an organization working on such important issues, and honored to have the opportunity to work with talented attorneys.”

Andrea is pursuing a joint degree in Latin American Studies and law. She has done internships at the Equal Justice Center’s Poultry Worker Justice Project and worked on the class action challenging the detention of children in the Hutto immigration facility. Andrea spent a semester in Australia, where she worked with the Refugee Action Collective, a political action group.

Nicole Flores, Harvard Law School

“I’m committed to working for social justice and civil rights for Latinos. PRLDEF has such a strong history in civil rights litigation and the docket is full of very important cases.”

Nicole has taught ESL and advocated for laborers in several Mid-western communities. In her first year of law school she joined the Harvard Immigration Project, where she researched Central American asylum rights, and volunteered for the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Nicole holds a Master’s degree in English literature from the University of Iowa.

Adriana LaFaille, Harvard Law School

“I knew that PRLDEF was a leader in immigrant rights work. I had read about PRLDEF’s work challenging anti-immigrant ordinances and ICE practices and was especially excited to get involved with the organization.”

Adriana is a native Brazilian with Argentine parents. As an undergraduate, she created, directed and taught an “English for Housecleaners” Program at the Brazilian Women’s Group. Adriana worked on immigration raids lawsuits at Greater Boston Legal Services and conducted policy analysis at Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy (MIRA).

Ellen Yiadom, UVA Law School

“I wanted this experience to be a great way to familiarize myself with the rights of immigrants in this country and hopefully incorporate this into my greater desire to work for minority rights.”

Ellen has worked on Violence Against Women Act cases in New York and researched HIV/AIDS education in Paris. After graduating from Harvard College where she was a Ron Brown scholar, she worked as a production assistant for an independent film company, researching documentaries on subjects ranging from infant mortality to Lorraine Hansberry.

Moisés Ceja, UCLA Law School

“What first caught my eye about PRLDEF was their work with day laborers.”

A U.S. Army technician and a sergeant in the California National Guard, Moises has interned with Sin Fronteras in Mexico City and the National Day Laborer Organization in Los Angeles, where he advocated against anti-solicitation ordinances. He is the Managing Editor of the UCLA Chicano/Latino Law Review.

Lara Pomerantz, UPenn Law School

“PRLDEF has presented me with an exciting opportunity to be a part of the organization's efforts to push for community empowerment and to strengthen the rights of Latinos through innovative advocacy and litigation.”

A summa cum laude graduate of Duke, Lara she spent summers as a research fellow studying health care in Cuba; a an intern in the Bergen County family courts; and as an intern for the Mayor of Englewood. Lara spent a year as a Fulbright scholar in the Dominican Republic.