Tag Archives: MALDEF

Hearing for that other SB4 lawsuit

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The SB4 lawsuit that Ken Paxton filed, to get the law pre-emptively declared to be constitutional, had its hearing in Austin on Thursday. A federal judge on Thursday criticized the politics surrounding Texas’ new immigration-enforcement law and hinted that he’d … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Austin, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, MALDEF, San Antonio, Texas, The Lege, Travis County | 2 Comments

City of El Paso joins in on SB4

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Add one more to the list. The city of El Paso voted on Tuesday to join the growing list of local governments that have filed a legal challenge in hopes of stopping Texas’ new immigration enforcement law from going into … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Austin, El Cenizo, El Paso, Houston, immigration, lawsuit, local control, MALDEF, Maverick County, San Antonio, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

Getting ready for the first SB4 hearing

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

All eyes are going to be on this next week. On Monday, June 26, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia will hear the City of San Antonio’s request for a preliminary injunction to block Senate Bill 4, the “sanctuary cities” law, … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Austin, El Cenizo, El Paso, Houston, immigration, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, MALDEF, Maverick County, Sally Hernandez, San Antonio, Steve Adler, Texas, Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, Workers Defense Project | 8 Comments

Matt Rinaldi’s words will be used against him

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. On Monday, Representative Matt Rinaldi, called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after hundreds of mostly Latino activists filled the House gallery to protest Senate Bill 4, the controversial ‘sanctuary cities’ ban. Jose Garza, an attorney representing El Paso County in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged ICE, immigration, lawsuit, MALDEF, Matt Rinaldi, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

San Antonio files “sanctuary cities” lawsuit

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here they go. The cities of San Antonio and Austin announced on Thursday they have joined the fight to stop the state’s new immigration enforcement law, Senate Bill 4, in federal court. […] The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Austin, City Council, El Cenizo, Election 2017, Greg Abbott, Greg Casar, immigration, Ivy Taylor, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, MALDEF, Maverick County, Mayor, Rey Saldana, Ron Nirenberg, runoff, San Antonio, Sylvester Turner, Texas, Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education, The Lege, Workers Defense Project | 1 Comment

MALDEF gets injunction in recapture lawsuit

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From their website: Please attribute the following statement on a Texas court ruling ordering state education officials to cease bypassing existing school funding rules to Marisa Bono, Southwest regional counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund): “MALDEF … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged HISD, homestead exemption, Joaquin ISD, La Feria ISD, lawsuit, MALDEF, property taxes, recapture, schools, Texas, Texas Education Agency | 3 Comments

More “sanctuary cities” plaintiffs gearing up

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Local governments are not going down without a fight. On Tuesday, which organizers said was the beginning of a “summer of resistance,” Austin City Council member Delia Garza said the city will move this week to take formal action to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Greg Abbott, Houston, immigration, lawsuit, MALDEF, Robert Gallegos, San Antonio, Sylvester Turner, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

More “sanctuary cities” litigation in the works

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Coming soon. Civil rights groups vigorously opposed to Texas’s new anti-“sanctuary cities” law – which would allow the jailing of sheriffs and police chiefs if they refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities – expect to file within the next … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Greg Abbott, immigration, La Raza, lawsuit, MALDEF, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

Justice Department will send election monitors to Pasadena

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring the Pasadena city elections as the suburb faces mounting federal scrutiny in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling that the city intentionally violated the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Hispanics. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged City Council, Election 2017, Gloria Gallegos, Justice Department, MALDEF, Mayor, Pasadena, Pat Van Houte, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Big day for redistricting in court

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Tomorrow the questions of what happens next in the redistricting lawsuits begin to get answered. Will Texas soon see new political maps that are friendlier to Latino and black voters and, in turn, Democrats? If so, who would draw them: … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged CD23, CD27, CD35, Congress, Election 2018, lawsuit, MALC, MALDEF, redistricting, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

MALDEF files suit over change to recapture

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a twist. Texas education officials illegally changed how property taxes are calculated in wealthy school districts, with the effect of substantially reducing the funds available for schools in poorer districts, a lawsuit filed Thursday charged. The change would … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Dan Huberty, Election 2017, HISD, homestead exemption, Joaquin ISD, La Feria ISD, lawsuit, MALDEF, property taxes, recapture, schools, Texas, Texas Education Agency, The Lege | 7 Comments

Voter ID 2.0 clears Senate committee

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems likely this will go the distance. A Texas Senate panel cleared legislation Monday that would overhaul the state’s voter identification rules, an effort to comply with court rulings that the current law discriminates against black and Latino voters. The … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged ACLU, Joan Huffman, lawsuit, MALDEF, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter ID | 4 Comments

Judge affirms Pasadena redistricting order

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Back to the previous map, pending appeal. Hours after candidates began filing paperwork to run for city office, a federal judge Wednesday denied a request by Pasadena officials to delay her order that the city election be run under an … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017, Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Election 2017, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, filing deadline, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, MALDEF, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas | Comments Off

Pasadena will appeal redistricting ruling

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. An attorney representing the city of Pasadena said Tuesday the city will appeal a ruling that found Pasadena deliberately violated the voting rights of its Hispanic population, a move that could have immediate consequences for the city’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Election 2017, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, filing deadline, Johnny Isbell, Justice Department, lawsuit, MALDEF, Ornaldo Ybarra, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Final ruling in Pasadena redistricting lawsuit

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s official – back to the original map. With candidate registration set to begin Tuesday, a federal judge Monday prohibited the city of Pasadena from using an unconstitutional redistricting scheme in the upcoming May elections, stating that the scheme violated … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017, Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Election 2017, filing deadline, Johnny Isbell, Justice Department, lawsuit, MALDEF, Mayor, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

Judge rules for Pasadena plaintiffs

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. A federal judge in Houston dealt a major blow Friday to the city of Pasadena in a closely watched voting rights case, ruling that officials deliberately diluted the clout of Hispanic voters by revising the system for electing City … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Election 2017, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Johnny Isbell, Justice Department, MALDEF, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Fifth Circuit hears immigrant harboring lawsuit appeal

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This time it’s the state that’s appealing a lower court ruling. A federal appeals court in New Orleans heard oral arguments Wednesday about whether a key portion of Texas’ omnibus border security bill is legal. Lawyers for the state of … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged border, DPS, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, human trafficking, immigration, lawsuit, MALDEF, Steve McCraw, Texas, The Lege | 9 Comments

Pasadena voting rights case in the judge’s hands now

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We await a ruling. Armed officers guarded a closed-door committee meeting. Discriminatory comments surfaced at City Hall. Latino-backed council members were hustled from chambers by police. The accounts of perceived intimidation and back-door dealings were detailed during testimony in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Cody Wheeler, Election 2013, Election 2015, Election 2017, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, MALDEF, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Pasadena voting rights trial update

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Day One: The disparity in infrastructure is at the heart of a voting rights case that opened in federal court Thursday in which a group of Latino residents is challenging the city’s newly revised system of government, saying it discriminates … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged City Council, demography, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, MALDEF, Ornaldo Ybarra, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Pasadena voting rights trial begins

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s Mike Snyder provides an update. [This] week in a Houston federal courtroom, [the Voting Rights Act] will again be invoked in a challenge to an allegedly discriminatory council system, this time in a suburban city that’s undergone a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Donald Trump, Election 2016, Hillary Clinton, HISD, HISD Board of Trustees, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, MALDEF, Pasadena, President, redistricting, SCOTUS, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Lawsuit filed against Bexar County over voter ID info

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still fighting this out. An advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against Bexar County for misinforming voters about the state’s voter ID rules. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), filed the lawsuit Friday afternoon on behalf … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016, Legal matters | Tagged Bexar County, Election 2016, lawsuit, MALDEF, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, voter ID | Comments Off

Voter ID problems still abound

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hardly a surprise. This much is clear after two days of early voting in Texas: Legal wrangling over the state’s voter identification law is stirring confusion at the polls. Amid Texans’ mad dash to polling places this week, the front … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged Bexar County, early voting, Election 2016, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, MALDEF, Secretary of State, Stan Stanart, Texas, turnout, voter ID | Comments Off

Pasadena voting rights case moves forward

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. A federal judge has denied Pasadena’s request to throw out a lawsuit challenging its controversial city council redistricting plan, which a group of Hispanic and Latino residents alleges dilutes the voting rights of the suburb’s growing minority population. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Election 2013, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, MALDEF, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Immigrant harboring law blocked

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge has blocked part of the state’s omnibus border security bill that makes harboring undocumented immigrants a state crime. Under a provision of House Bill 11, which went into effect in September, a person commits a crime … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged border, DPS, human trafficking, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, MALDEF, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

Is the Evenwel decision the last word on “one person one vote”?

Posted on April 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe not. With a long-running legal struggle raging over one of the nation’s strictest voter identification laws, Texas was already a prime battleground in a war between conservatives and liberals over voting rights. And on Monday, experts here and elsewhere … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Brennan Center, Census, lawsuit, MALDEF, NAACP, one person one vote, redistricting, SCOTUS, Senate, Texas, The Lege | 3 Comments

What kind of ruling might we expect in the school finance case?

Posted on March 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

KUHF explores the possibilities. Four major scenarios to watch for: The Texas Supreme Court could not rule at all. Instead, it could send the case back to the lower court to see if the latest $2.5 billion dollars to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged budget, CPPP, lawsuit, MALDEF, Paul Bettencourt, property taxes, school finance, schools, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

MALDEF sues over provision of border bill

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Worth watching. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, filed suit Sunday against Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and the Texas Public Safety Commission, which oversees the DPS. The group alleges … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged border, Dennis Bonnen, DPS, human trafficking, immigration, Joe Moody, lawsuit, MALDEF, Poncho Nevarez, SCOTUS, Steve McCraw, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

Voter ID appeal report

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib reports from New Orleans. A federal appellate judge on Tuesday questioned why the Texas Legislature had not addressed concerns that its four-year-old voter ID law discriminated against minority voters. U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Catharina Haynes … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Election 2014, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, lawsuit, MALDEF, Marc Veasey, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | 5 Comments

Redistricting update

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Russ Tidwell, writing at Letters from Texas: There is well-established case law around redistricting that calls for creating a new minority opportunity district anytime a compact majority of a single minority group can be established (i.e., majority Black or … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Election 2016, HD101, HD102, HD105, HD107, HD132, HD135, HD26, HD54, HD57, HD93, HD96, lawsuit, MALDEF, redistricting, Russ Tidwell, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Don’t forget about Pasadena

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still a lawsuit in the works regarding their 2013 redistricting referendum that switched their Council from an eight-member all-district makeup to six districts and two At large seats, all at the behest of Mayor Johnny Isbell. Pasadena is preparing … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged At Large, City Council, Election 2003, Election 2005, Election 2007, Election 2009, Election 2011, Election 2013, Election 2015, Houston, Houston City Council, Jack Christie, Johnny Isbell, Jolanda Jones, lawsuit, MALDEF, Ornaldo Ybarra, Pasadena, redistricting, SCOTUS, single member districts, Texas Organizing Project, turnout, Voting Rights Act | 3 Comments

Lawsuit filed over Pasadena Council districts

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. For 41 years, Alberto Patiño has lived in Pasadena and seen a lot of changes there. Now Hispanics like him make up more than 60 percent of residents and about 40 percent of eligible voters. Patiño wants that reflected … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Election 2013, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, MALDEF, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

School finance system ruled unconstitutional again

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A little light reading for your holiday weekend. Nearly three years after more than 600 Texas school districts filed litigation challenging the state’s school finance system, a Travis County district judge has ruled in their favor. In an almost 400-page … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged budget, Dan Patrick, Election 2014, Governor, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, Leticia Van De Putte, Lite Gov, MALDEF, school finance, schools, Texas, The Lege, Wendy Davis | Comments Off

SCOTUS declines to hear Farmers Branch appeal

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

By all rights, this story should now be at an end. The U.S. Supreme Court brought closure Monday to the seven-year legal battle in Farmers Branch over a local ordinance that sought to ban landlords from renting property to people … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged Farmers Branch, immigration, lawsuit, MALDEF, SCOTUS, Texas | Comments Off

School finance retrial wraps

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’re back where it all began. The Texas Legislature failed to bridge funding gaps between wealthy and poor school districts despite partial restoration of funds that were cut, lawyers representing schools told a state district judge Friday. “They have put … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Election 2014, Governor, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, MALDEF, school finance, schools, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Taxpayer & Student Fairness Coalition, The Lege, Wendy Davis | Comments Off

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