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  • PRESS RELEASE
    17, August 2018
    Latino Leaders Launch Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary, Expressing Concern with SCOTUS Nominee

Latino Leaders Launch Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary, Expressing Concern with SCOTUS Nominee

Location
Washington, DC

CONTACT: Christiaan Perez, [email protected], 212-739-7581

You can download see the letter that LatinoJustice sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee here or embedded below. You can also see the letter we joined from Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary here.

On August 10th, a group of Latino leaders launched “Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary,” (HFJ) a network of Latino elected officials, legal, civil rights, labor, and academic voices committed to raising awareness around the impact federal courts and judges have on the Latino community.
Participants discussed the judiciary’s importance as the last line of defense on issues ranging from immigration and voting rights to reproductive justice and labor protections. They also weighed in on Judge Kavanaugh’s record and potential impact on the Latino community.

“The Supreme Court has always played a vital role in protecting civil rights and has been the last line of defense for our democracy’s very stability. As a community, we must be able to access the courts and seek the protections provided by our legal system,” added José Pérez, Deputy General Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “Judge Kavanaugh if confirmed will result in the erosion of many of the civil rights victories won in the last half-century.”

“It is essential we assert ourselves into the national conversation, we need to elevate our voices on these most pressing legal issues that impact our community,” stated New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-33 representing the Bronx). “I’m glad to be part of this coalition and together ensure we all do what we can to ensure the voice of Latinos are heard throughout the country.”

HFJ co-founder, CNN Correspondent and board member of the Center for Reproductive Rights, Maria Cardona stated, “Our Judiciary has a daily impact on immigrants across our country. I believe that this [Supreme Court] nomination could have devastating consequences on our community. We can’t forget Kavanaugh was selected from a pre-vetted list of candidates that will overturn Roe v. Wade. We must do all we can to ensure our community is aware of this.”

Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel at MALDEF stated, “Latinos make up 18% of the total percentage of the United States population. Supreme Court Justices should consider our history of civil rights and should not allow discrimination to take place.” Saenz concluded by noting, “There is no hierarchy of rights. We all have the right to be protected by the Constitution and the Supreme Court.”

In anticipation of the upcoming confirmation hearings, HFJ sent a joint letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee signed by a group of Latino law professors and civil rights leaders identifying priority issues for the Latino community. The letter is found here.

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Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary (HFJ) provides Latino leaders across the nation a platform and voice in matters related to our nation’s judicial system. HFJ is an unaffiliated, non-partisan, independent network of elected officials, legal, civil rights, labor, academic and political leaders who care deeply about the impact that the Supreme Court has on the Latino community. Our mission is to raise public awareness around the pressing legal issues Latinos are facing and call attention to the significance of the Supreme Court.

Letter to Senate Judiciary Regarding The Nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme C... by LatinoJustice on Scribd