Last Friday, President Obama announced his intent to nominate attorney Tom Perez to be Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice. Perez, who is a nationally recognized civil rights lawyer and consumer advocate, currently serves as the Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR). A graduate […]
Latino Lawyer to Head Civil Rights Division; Announcement Sparks Accusations of Immigration Avoidance
March 16, 2009 By
Victory on Voter I.D. in Texas May Cost GOP Support Among Hispanics
March 16, 2009 By
In Texas, Republicans have won a fierce battle over requiring voters to present photo IDs at polls. It is widely perceived that this bill is largely aimed at Hispanics, the fastest-growing group of voters in Texas. Many Latinos feel it is part of state Republican efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. Republican leaders negate […]
Solis Formally Sworn in as Labor Secretary
March 13, 2009 By
This morning, Vice President Joe Biden swore in California Representative Hilda Solis as the next Secretary of Labor, one of three cabinet posts that had yet to be formally filled. Solis is the first Latina cabinet member in the Obama administration. Biden said, “When she held hearings on sweatshops, she was heard. When she fought […]
Arizona Sheriff Accused of Racist Tactics to be Investigated by Department of Justice
March 12, 2009 By
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice opened an investigation against Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio due to his alleged patterns of racial discrimination against Hispanics. Activists have long complained of his use of racial profiling in Maricopa County to detain citizens and legal residents on the sheer suspicion that they are undocumented. In early February, Arpaio […]
Supreme Court Delivers Blow to Voting Rights
March 11, 2009 By
On Monday of this week, the Supreme Court delivered a severe blow to the process used by many legal advocates of minority voting rights. In a 5-4 ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy writing for the majority, set a new threshold for the use of Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act which allows challenges when […]
Eased Travel Restrictions to Cuba
March 11, 2009 By
Congress has approved a spending bill that includes easing trade and travel restrictions against Cuba. The provisions are part of a $410 billion spending bill approved by the Senate on Tuesday and passed earlier by the House of Representatives. Later today, President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill sign into law. The measure […]
Environmental Groups Seek Diversity
March 11, 2009 By
With a new administration committed to environmental issues, many environmentalists are feeling the pressure to add diversity to the movement, in both membership and at higher levels of leadership. National environmental organizations have traditionally drawn memberships from the white and affluent and have faced criticism for focusing on protecting resources rather than addressing the issues […]
Mexico's Drug Wars Cause Fears in the U.S.
March 10, 2009 By
The drug war in Mexico is blamed for killing more than 6,300 people since January 2008, including more than 1,000 in the first two months of this year alone. The violence has put an enormous damper on Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s government, which has vowed to wipe out the cartels. According to the U.S. Justice […]
Arrests at the Border Drop Significantly
March 10, 2009 By
The busiest illegal immigration corridors on the U.S. – Mexico border are becoming increasingly quiet. As the U.S. economy suffers and enforcement increases, the number of illegal immigrants arrested on the border has fallen dramatically. San Luis Rio Colorado, a border town in the Mexican state of Sonora, was once bustling with migrants but now […]
President Obama Addresses the State of Education at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Conference
March 10, 2009 By
This morning President Barack Obama made remarks on the state of American education at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Conference. He stressed the importance of investing in early childhood education, teacher quality, and how education affects the economy. Obama stressed the importance of a college education, “That is why workers without a four-year […]
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