NILC Responds to Nomination to U.S. Supreme Court of Judge Brett Kavanaugh

LOS ANGELES — President Donald Trump today announced the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. The announcement comes just over a week after Justice Anthony Kennedy announced that he would soon retire.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“The Supreme Court is essential to maintaining the strength and integrity of our democracy. Its role in upholding the rights and values that we, as a nation, cherish most cannot be overstated.

“Judge Kavanaugh’s record makes it clear that he cannot be entrusted to uphold the awesome responsibility to be independent, open-minded, and to fairly weigh critical legal questions that have broad and significant impact on the lives of all who call the United States home. Kavanaugh’s legal writings and recent dissents speak for themselves: he thinks immigrant communities should be Constitution-free zones, and that reproductive justice should be curtailed.

“Especially at a time when the president and his administration have so freely traversed the boundaries of legality, the Senate has a responsibility to protect all its constituents. This includes the most marginalized, such as women, people of color, LGTBQI, workers, and the immigrant families, that live in their communities. If they do so, the majority of Senators should find that Judge Kavanaugh is unfit to serve in the highest court in the land.

“The next Supreme Court justice must demonstrate a commitment to defend the rights of all people in the United States, as provided by the Constitution, and to serve as an independent check on the presidency regardless of who occupies the White House. Judge Kavanaugh cannot demonstrate such a commitment. The Senate has a responsibility to reject his nomination.”

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Supreme Court Affirms That Everyone Counts

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Texas’ voting district apportioning system, ensuring that all people are counted for districting purposes regardless of their age or where they were born. In a unanimous decision, the Court rejected the plaintiffs’ claim that only those eligible to vote should be considered. Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center issued the following statement in response to the decision. The National Immigration Law Center joined a coalition of civil rights organizations in filing an amicus curiae brief in support of Texas in Evenwel v. Abbott:

“The Supreme Court today issued a powerful reminder that our elected officials represent all of us, regardless of whether we can vote. This unanimous decision puts to rest claims by conservative ideologues’ years-long attack on the most vulnerable members of our community, all of whom deserve representation, even if they cannot vote for those who represent them.

“Today’s decision correctly recognizes that counting every person when apportioning comports with the democratic goals asserted in the constitution. This is a great victory for children too young to vote, immigrants who contribute to our communities but cannot join us in the voting booth, or those unfairly stripped of their voting rights, and will allow these individuals to have appropriate representation. One person, one vote is at the core of our democracy.”

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