Latino Leaders Re-Launch Latinos for a Fair Judiciary to honor and advance Justice Ginsburg’s commitment to equal justice
For Immediate Release: September 25, 2020
Contact:
Chris Lechuga
915-274-2407
clechuga@rabengroup.com
Latino Leaders Re-Launch Latinos for a Fair Judiciary to honor and advance Justice Ginsburg’s commitment to equal justice
Washington, DC- Leading Latino voices have announced the re-launch of Latinos for a Fair Judiciary (LFJ), a coalition dedicated to providing Latinos across the nation with a platform and voice in matters related to our nation’s judicial system. In the wake of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an iconic champion for civil rights and equality, the Latino community is once again rising to inform the national conversation, call out the importance of the U.S. Supreme Court on the lives of American Latinos, and elevate diverse voices on the most pressing legal issues facing our nation today.
“The size and prominence of the Latino population nationwide is reflected in the Supreme Court dockets of the last ten years; more and more cases before the Court will center on the legal issues faced by the Latino community,” said Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel. “The Latino vote will increasingly attend to the federal judiciary, particularly after four years with only one Latino appointment to any circuit court of appeals in the country; Latinos for a Fair Judiciary will become an important voice on these critical issues.”
Nearing one of the most critical elections in our nation’s history, the Latino community is again in the spotlight as among the most influential voters. The passing of Justice Ginsburg creates new energy, as well as concern, about civil and human rights that the Supreme Court has often protected as the last line of defense.
"Justice Ginsburg served as the embodiment of equal justice through her steadfast commitment to create a more inclusive nation for all people, including the more than 50 million Latinos living in America," said Frankie Miranda, President of Hispanic Federation. “The individual selected to fill this vacancy will have the power to shape the laws on which our democracy is built, impacting countless lives for generations. The American people expect the Senate not to rush through this process, but to treat it with the utmost respect and delay consideration of a new Supreme Court justice until they have had the opportunity to cast their votes.”
As she lies in state inside the U.S. Capitol today, LFJ honors the life of Justice Ginsburg and recognizes the tremendous impact she had on ensuring the rights and liberties for millions Latinos living in the United States. Her work during her successful legal career and while serving on the Supreme Court led to many landmark decisions on issues that have made a lasting mark on the Latino community, including the Affordable Care Act and marriage equality.
“Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves behind a legacy of defending the due process rights of immigrants and calling for more accountability for law enforcement agencies,” said Jose Perez, Deputy General Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “The daughter of immigrants, Ginsburg often voted in favor of protecting immigrant rights, and provided key votes rejecting Trump's attempts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. In this moment of national mourning, we now face perhaps the biggest challenge of our lifetimes with key decisions facing Latinos, women, families, the LGBTQ+, essential workers and other marginalized communities. We demand that Senator McConnell and his compatriots adhere to their 2016 position that the American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice and that this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”
Within hours after the nation learned about Justice Ginsburg’s passing, President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell immediately announced their intentions to quickly ram a Supreme Court nominee through the confirmation process without regard to the precedent invoked by McConnell himself in 2016 when he blocked the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland eight months before a presidential election, saying “Of course, the American people should have a say in the court’s direction.”
“You do not have to be a legal expert to be alarmed when elected officials, regardless of their party, go back on their word,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS. “You do not have to be a constitutional scholar to question why there seems to be rules for one group and another set of rules for the other. We are angered by the blatant hypocrisy so many Republican Senators have displayed in these last few days. The American people deserve to have confidence and trust in the pledges their representatives make, full stop.”
LFJ has organized to oppose any consideration of a Supreme Court nominee until after the will of the people has been heard and the next inauguration takes place. As part of its efforts, LFJ will lift up the voices of leading Latino advocates, attorneys, law professors, and public officials in the national debate and in outreach to Senators. LFJ will host briefings and virtual discussions that aim to inform lawmakers, stakeholders, and the public on the illegitimate confirmation process and what a potential nominee might mean for equity and social justice in our nation.
“Congress is tasked with providing advice and consent on any nomination, yet the process we already see playing out is one of blind consent, as posturing began even before respect was paid for the passing of Justice Ginsburg or a nominee selected,” said Amy Hinojosa, President of MANA, a National Latina Organization. “This is why the American people must demand accountability with our votes.”
LFJ sent a letter on Thursday to Senators on behalf of more than a dozen Latino organizations to call for their opposition in considering any nominee until after the people’s voice has been heard and the leaders they selected have been sworn in. The letter and additional information about LFJ and its initiatives can be found at 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.