MALDEF STATEMENT ON BUFFALO MASS MURDER

LOS ANGELES – Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), issued the following statement in the aftermath of Saturday’s mass shooting in Buffalo, New York that left 10 people dead:

MALDEF STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF PROFESSOR MICHAEL OLIVAS

LOS ANGELES – MALDEF mourns the passing of Michael A. Olivas, who died today in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A longtime supporter of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), he served on the organization’s Board of Directors for several terms over decades, and was currently serving on his passing.  He was also a MALDEF legal services honoree in 2000.

MALDEF STATEMENT ON THE NOMINATION OF JUSTICE PATRICIA GUERRERO TO THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT

LOS ANGELES –  On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Fourth District Court of Appeal Justice Patricia Guerrero to serve as an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court. If confirmed, Guerrero would be the first Latina to serve on the state’s high court. Please attribute the following statement on the nomination of Justice Guerrero to Ernest I. Herrera, Western Regional Counsel for MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund):

MALDEF STATEMENT ON AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION’S ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION SUPPORTING COMPLETE APPORTIONMENT COUNT

LOS ANGELES –  The American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates yesterday approved a resolution urging federal agencies to “follow laws and adopt policies to ensure that all persons in each state, regardless of immigration status, are included in the apportionment count used to redistribute seats in the United States House of Representatives following each decennial census.”  The resolution was presented to the House of Delegates by MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) President and General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz, who is a member of the ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice.

VOTING RIGHTS GROUPS SUE TEXAS FOR FAILURE TO DISCLOSE RECORDS RELATED TO VOTER PURGES

AUSTIN, TEXAS –  Today, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Texas (ACLU Texas), Campaign Legal Center (CLC), DĒMOS, and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to order Texas’ Secretary of State to produce records responsive to their previous requests seeking information about a state program that threatens to remove naturalized citizens from the voter rolls.

MALDEF STATEMENT ONE YEAR AFTER THE JANUARY 6 INSURRECTION

LOS ANGELES – One year ago today, a violent group of supporters of Donald J. Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an unprecedented attempt to undermine this nation’s democracy by preventing the lawful certification of a presidential election. The violence carried out that day left at least five dead, and has led to continued attacks on voting rights across the U.S. by those who engage in fraudulent conspiracy theories.