Over a dozen national Latino civil rights and advocacy organizations oppose confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett

For Immediate Release: October 22, 2020

Contact: 

Chris Lechuga
915-274-2407
clechuga@rabengroup.com

Over a dozen national Latino civil rights and advocacy organizations  oppose confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett

Latinos for a Fair Judiciary issues letter to U.S. Senate outlining the danger Judge Coney Barrett poses to civil and human rights

Washington, DC- In a letter sent to Senators on Wednesday on behalf of more than a dozen national Latino civil rights and advocacy organizations, Latinos for a Fair Judiciary (LFJ) announced it opposes the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States. Representing the interests of millions of Latinos and Latinas from across the nation, the leaders of LFJ highlight the urgency to push back on Republican efforts to pack the Court with a far right ideology that would hold for a generation.

Today, as the Republicans in the Senate Judiciary Committee vote to move the illegitimate confirmation process forward, members of LFJ have offered their perspective on the impact Judge Barrett would have on the Latino community if confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Ever since President Donald Trump and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced their intentions to ram a Supreme Court nominee through the Senate hours after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, this confirmation process has been marred with hypocrisy, changing of the rules, ignoring precedent, and a complete disregard for the will of the American people. A process that traditionally has taken months in order to allow Senators and staffs adequate time to review a nominee’s record, gather testimony, and prepare questions for confirmation hearings was crammed into mere weeks with the clear attempt to supercede the voice of the people in the midst of the most important presidential election in history. 

“Jamming a Supreme Court nominee through the Senate subverts our democracy, as Americans—tens of millions of whom have voted already--deserve a say in who our leaders are that nominate and confirm Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s replacement,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS. “Last week, Judge Barrett refused to answer key questions that Latinos and all Americans deserve answers to, including how she would rule on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Four million Latino adults and 600,000 Latino children got covered under the ACA. There is too much at stake when the outcome threatens the health and wellbeing of our families. UnidosUS urges Senators to oppose this nomination and to postpone the consideration of any nominee until after the presidential inauguration.”

Ediberto Roman, Professor of Law at Florida International University said, "Judge Barrett’s record and utter failure to be transparent or candid during the confirmation hearings puts into serious doubt her ability to objectively hear cases and apply equal justice to all, especially on key issues that have tremendous impact on the Latino and Latina communities. Her previous decisions and her evasive responses to Senators’ questions signal the likelihood that she would favor the Trump Administration in cases that would ultimately strip access to healthcare for millions of Latinos, limit voting rights, further endanger women’s reproductive rights, roll back protections for the LGBTQ community, and deny immigrants due process."

"We need a justice who understands and upholds the central tenants of our democracy, including the right of every American to participate in our elections and for our votes to be counted. Instead, we have Judge Barrett, who refused to say whether voter intimidation is illegal and whether discrimination against voters of color exists, demonstrating that she does not have a basic appreciation for the realities facing Latino and other voters in America. Senators should vote against Judge Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court," said Hector Sanchez Barba, Executive Director and CEO, Mi Familia Vota.

Choosing a justice to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court is too important to allow for a rushed and illegitimate confirmation process to proceed, and LFJ urges Senators to delay any vote until after Inauguration Day.

To view the full LFJ letter to Senators, please visit www.latinosforafairjudiciary.org. 

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Latinos for a Fair Judiciary (LFJ) provides Latino leaders across the nation a platform and voice in matters related to our nation’s judicial system. LFJ 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.