Protecting Latino Civil Rights and Cultivating the Leaders of Tomorrow
Using the power of the law together with advocacy and education, LatinoJustice PRLDEF protects opportunities for all Latinos to succeed in school and work, fulfill their dreams, and sustain their families and communities.
Our impact litigation and legal advocacy work ensure that Latinos living in the United States are afforded the rights guaranteed to them under the United States Constitution.
Hate Crimes
With the changing demographics and rising national anti-immigration sentiment, there has been a marked increase in hate crimes against Latinos in the past few years.
Often, Latinos' civil and human rights are violated by the very people who are supposed to be ensuring that laws are upheld. Thanks to LatinoJustice PRLDEF’s efforts, the U.S. Department of Justice has taken notice and taken action on this issue.
The DOJ opened a formal investigation into possible discriminatory practices by the Suffolk County, NY Police Department after a LatinoJustice PRLDEF investigation found that Latinos had been the victims of scores of crimes on a weekly, if not daily, basis in the county. No arrests had ever been made in these cases until the death of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero. (Lucero was assaulted, stabbed and killed in Suffolk County by a group of seven local youths who had set out to go "beaner jumping.”) The DOJ’s investigation is ongoing.
Additionally, due, in part, to our cooperation, four Shenandoah, Pennsylvania police officers were indicted on federal charges for obstructing justice in the investigation of the murder of Luis Ramirez. (Ramirez was beaten to death in Shenandoah by local teenagers who were yelling racial epithets.) The officers were indicted for attempting to cover up evidence of the crime and the teenagers are now being brought up on federal hate crime charges.
Housing Rights
Anti-immigration organizations and the radical right have been stepping up efforts to create obstacles intended to keep Latinos from residing in their communities. They’ve targeted individual landlords to limit Latino access to housing.
LatinoJustice PRLDEF helped Latino tenants in Plainfield, New Jersey win a major legal victory in 2009, when a Federal judge dismissed a civil racketeering (RICO) claim brought by a well-known anti-immigrant group against a private landlord charging that his renting of apartments to Latino immigrants constituted “harboring.”
Anti-immigrant groups have been attempting to use the federal ‘harboring’ statute as a misguided weapon to enforce federal immigration laws by shifting immigration enforcement responsibilities to private landlords. The judge’s dismissal of the suit sent a clear message that this argument will not stand.
Our work goes beyond just the rights of immigrants. We also work to make sure that Latinos living in the U.S. become part of American society.
Voting Rights
Our civil rights work strives to ensure that Latinos living in the U.S. become full participants in American society.
Latino voters came out in record numbers to choose our next President in the 2008 elections, but a significant number of those voices were silenced when Spanish-speaking voters did not receive the language assistance they needed and are entitled to by law.
When LatinoJustice PRLDEF found out that Puerto Rican voters in Volusia County, Florida were being disenfranchised because they were unable to understand the county's English-only electoral ballots, we filed suit on Election Day on behalf of local Puerto Rican residents and the Volusia County Hispanic Association to demand Spanish language ballots and election materials. Our complaint contended that the plaintiffs were effectively denied the right to cast a meaningful vote because ballot materials – including several state constitutional amendments – were provided only in English, and because our clients were not provided Spanish-language assistance despite requesting same.
The federal judge in the case ruled that private citizens could sue to enforce provisions of the Voting Rights Act.
Another way we work to ensure Latino participation in American society is by training young people to be the next leaders of that society.
Building Latino Leadership
Now, more than ever, Latino youth stand to exert an important influence over civic society in the coming years. Through our Legal Education programs and our Youth Civic Engagement Network, LatinoJustice PRLDEF helps young Latinos cultivate their leadership skills and become engaged in their communities.
Many of our most important civic leaders got their start in the legal profession. That is why, for over 30 years, our Legal Education programs have been an integral part of our mission to cultivate the next generation of community leaders. From mentoring for high school students to LSAT preparation for undergrads to internships for current law students, our programs aim to help young Latinos take the important first steps on their path to a legal career.
At the same time, young Latino advocates are gaining valuable community leadership experience through our Youth Civic Engagement Network’s many projects. Young volunteers have organized and participated in voter registration drives, worked as poll monitors on Election Day, participated in legislative advocacy for the DREAM Act, and have taken part in other actions that improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, their peers, and their communities.