|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 6, 2010
CONTACT:
Adela de la Torre | 213.674.2832 | delatorre@nilc.org
Maria Archuleta, ACLU, (212) 519-7808 or 549-2666; media@aclu.org
Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU of Arizona, (602) 773-6006 or 418-5499
Laura Rodriguez, MALDEF, (310) 956-2425; lrodriguez@maldef.org
Karin Wang, APALC, (213) 241-0234 or 999-5640; kwang@apalc.org
Leila McDowell, NAACP, (202) 463-2940 ext. 1021 |
|
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit
today challenging Arizona’s recently enacted racial profiling law, known
as SB-1070. In taking this extraordinary action, the federal
government has sent a clear message that it will not tolerate state laws
that invite racial stereotyping and profiling and interfere with federal
immigration priorities and policies.
The National Immigration Law Center, along with a coalition of leading
rights groups, filed a lawsuit in May challenging the constitutionality
of the law.
The civil rights coalition includes the ACLU; MALDEF; the National
Immigration Law Center (NILC); the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC)
- a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice; the ACLU
of Arizona; the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON); and the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP is serving as pro bono
co-counsel in the case.
The following statements can be attributed to members of the coalition,
as listed below.
Linton Joaquin, General Counsel of NILC:
“States planning to follow in Arizona’s misguided footsteps should take
note: the United States cannot and should not allow immigrants and
communities of color to be targets of hateful racial profiling
legislation that puts their civil liberties on the line. We are
pleased to see that the government has exercised its legal right to
protect the rights of those within its borders and ensure that federal
issues remain squarely in the federal domain.”
Lucas Guttentag, Director of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project:
"We commend the Obama administration for taking this critical step to
negate Arizona's unconstitutional usurpation of federal authority and
its invitation to racial profiling. The administration's lawsuit
is a cannon shot across the bow of other states that may be tempted to
follow Arizona's misguided approach. We will continue to
aggressively pursue our legal challenge and welcome the Justice
Department's participation in the battle to preserve American values of
fairness and equality."
Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the ACLU of Arizona:
"The Obama administration's action against this 'show me your papers'
law sends a loud and clear message against state laws that
institutionalize racial profiling of Latinos and result in an erosion of
trust between law enforcement and the community. There has been a
long history of racial profiling of Latinos in our state, particularly
in Maricopa County, causing witnesses and victims of crime to be less
willing to come forward. We will fight vigorously to keep this law from
going into effect, and welcome the administration’s efforts toward the
same goal.”
Julie Su, Litigation Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, a
member of Asian American Center for Advancing Justice:
"We welcome the Department of Justice's action against Arizona's law
that invites racial profiling of anyone who might be perceived as being
foreign including Asian Americans. We hope the DOJ's challenge to
this discriminatory law signals a willingness on the part of the federal
government to address the myriad ways that our country's broken
immigration system affects Americans and those who seek a better life by
coming to America. We need federal action to prevent more cities
and states from introducing copycat measures that violate core American
values of fairness and equality."
Chris Newman, Legal Director, NDLON:
“The Department of Justice has the legal and moral obligation to
challenge SB 1070; not just to protect civil rights in Arizona but also
to defend the federal government's exclusive authority to define and
implement United States immigration policy.”
Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and Chief Executive Officer of the
NAACP:
"In filing this lawsuit, the Obama administration has taken a strong and
principled stand against Arizona's discriminatory law. African-Americans
have the misfortune of being all too familiar with the pernicious
effects of racial profiling, and we welcome the addition of the
administration to the broad spectrum of organizations already
challenging this unconstitutional law. Laws that encourage
discrimination have no place in this country. We are confident that the
courts will prevent it from ever taking effect."
Organizations and attorneys on the case, Friendly House et al. v.
Whiting et al., include:
-
ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project: Omar Jadwat, Lucas Guttentag,
Cecillia Wang, Tanaz Moghadam and Harini P. Raghupathi
-
MALDEF: Thomas A. Saenz, Nina Perales, Cynthia Valenzuela Dixon,
Victor Viramontes, Gladys Limón, Nicholás Espiritu, and Ivan
Espinoza-Madrigal
-
NILC: Karen Tumlin, Linton Joaquin, Nora A. Preciado, Melissa S.
Keaney, Vivek Mittal and Ghazal Tajmiri
-
ACLU Foundation of Arizona: Dan Pochoda and Annie Lai
-
APALC: Julie Su, Ronald Lee, Yungsuhn Park, Connie Choi and Carmina
Ocampo
-
NDLON: Chris Newman, Lisa Kung
-
NAACP: Laura Blackburne
-
Munger Tolles & Olson LLP: Bradley S. Phillips, Paul J. Watford,
Joseph J. Ybarra, Susan T. Boyd, Yuval Miller, Elisabeth J. Neubauer,
and Benjamin Maro
-
Roush, Mccracken, Guerrero, Miller & Ortega: Daniel R. Ortega, Jr.
The DOJ’s complaint can be found
here.
More information about Friendly House v. Whiting can be found at
http://nilc.org/immlawpolicy/LocalLaw/index.htm#az.
###
|
