Powerful National Coalition to Announce Filing of
Lawsuit Challenging Arizona’s SB 1070
Lawsuit Challenging Arizona’s SB 1070
If the law goes into effect on July 29, it will allow law enforcement agencies to ask for documents from
people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S.
people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S.
By Eduardo Barraza Demonstrations against SB 1070
Phoenix, Arizona. May 16, 2010. - A coalition of six leading national civil organizations representing
various ethnic groups will be holding a teleconference on Monday, May 17, to announce the filing of a
legal challenge to what they are calling Arizona’s unconstitutional racial profiling law.
The legal alliance includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Mexican American Legal Defense
and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) and
the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC).
On April 29, 2010, members of some of these organizations held a press conference in the lawn of the
Arizona State Capitol to announce their intent to challenge SB 1070, signed into law by Gov. Brewer on
Friday, April 23, 2010.
If the law goes into effect on July 29, it will allow law enforcement agencies to ask for documents from
people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S. and criminalizes immigrants for
failing to carry immigration papers. The unconstitutional law, the groups say, encourages racial profiling,
endangers public safety and betrays American values.
Among those who will be making the Monday announcement are Lucas Guttentag, Director of the ACLU
Immigrants’ Rights Project; Nina Perales, Southwest Regional Counsel of MALDEF; Linton Joaquin,
General Counsel of NILC, as well as Hilary Shelton, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy of
NAACP; Stewart Kwoh, Executive Director of APALC; Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director of NDLON;
Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the ACLU of Arizona.
According to Soler Meetze, the coalition will be filing on behalf of 13 organizations and 13 individual
plaintiffs.
various ethnic groups will be holding a teleconference on Monday, May 17, to announce the filing of a
legal challenge to what they are calling Arizona’s unconstitutional racial profiling law.
The legal alliance includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Mexican American Legal Defense
and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) and
the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC).
On April 29, 2010, members of some of these organizations held a press conference in the lawn of the
Arizona State Capitol to announce their intent to challenge SB 1070, signed into law by Gov. Brewer on
Friday, April 23, 2010.
If the law goes into effect on July 29, it will allow law enforcement agencies to ask for documents from
people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S. and criminalizes immigrants for
failing to carry immigration papers. The unconstitutional law, the groups say, encourages racial profiling,
endangers public safety and betrays American values.
Among those who will be making the Monday announcement are Lucas Guttentag, Director of the ACLU
Immigrants’ Rights Project; Nina Perales, Southwest Regional Counsel of MALDEF; Linton Joaquin,
General Counsel of NILC, as well as Hilary Shelton, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy of
NAACP; Stewart Kwoh, Executive Director of APALC; Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director of NDLON;
Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the ACLU of Arizona.
According to Soler Meetze, the coalition will be filing on behalf of 13 organizations and 13 individual
plaintiffs.
APRIL 29, 2010 Six days after
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed
SB 1070 into law, several
organizations incuding MALDEF,
ACLU and NILC announced their
intent to challenge the law at the
Arizona State Capitol.
Photo by Eduardo Barraza/Barriozona
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed
SB 1070 into law, several
organizations incuding MALDEF,
ACLU and NILC announced their
intent to challenge the law at the
Arizona State Capitol.
Photo by Eduardo Barraza/Barriozona
Eduardo Barraza is a journalist and writer,
Barriozona Magazine's editor, and director of
the Hispanic Insitute of Social Issues.
E-mail: editor@barriozona.com
Barriozona Magazine's editor, and director of
the Hispanic Insitute of Social Issues.
E-mail: editor@barriozona.com
Published by the Hispanic Institute of Social Issues in Phoenix, Arizona
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