The Leadership Conference is working diligently to see that Tom Perez is confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Labor. Perez is an eminently qualified public servant and consensus builder who has dedicated his career to ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and have the opportunity to succeed. He has served with integrity and distinction at the local, state and national level, compiling an outstanding record of achievement.
Press Release - The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
1070 Ruling | Civil and Human Rights Coalition: Supreme Court Ruling on S.B. 1070 Signals States to Avoid Anti-Immigration Laws and Reinforces Need for Congress to Address Comprehensive Immigration Reform
For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Westbrook Simpson, 202.466.2061, simpson@civilrights.org
June 25, 2012
Washington, D.C. – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today in Arizona v. United States, the anti-immigrant case:
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is not all that we wanted, but it’s certainly not all that we feared. In striking down three of the four major provisions of Arizona’s divisive and costly anti-immigration law, S.B. 1070, a majority of the Court largely affirmed that this law – and those like it in other states – violates our Constitution and our core American values.
Regrettably, the Court chose to defer judgment for now on the most notorious provision of the law, which would open the door to widespread racial profiling if implemented. Even so, we are confident that this provision will ultimately be struck down, either in the courts or at the ballot box, because it is simply not workable.
S.B. 1070 rests upon the assumption that law enforcement officials can easily determine who is and isn’t legally authorized to be in the United States. We have grave doubts that Governor Jan Brewer and the state of Arizona can implement S.B. 1070 without seriously violating Arizonans’ civil rights. That’s why other states have already begun to reject these mean-spirited anti-immigration laws. States should take note of today’s ruling, which sends a clear message that these laws are irresponsible and counterproductive.
This decision also reinforces the need for Congress to stop shirking its responsibility to fully and comprehensively address the problems of our immigration system and to adopt policies that are sensible, workable, and humane, and that will benefit American citizens and immigrants alike.”
Wade Henderson is president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.
