WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) released a statement from a bipartisan group of members of the executive committee of its Board of Directors on the Supreme Court’s decision in Noem v. Perdomo:
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a troubling setback for civil rights and constitutional protections. The Constitution does not allow Americans to be stopped simply for speaking Spanish, waiting for work, or looking Latino. Reasonable suspicion must be based on evidence, not ethnicity.
By siding with the administration, the Court has opened the door to profiling practices that will expose millions of Latinos to harassment, wrongful detention, and fear in their daily lives. Whether at bus stops, workplaces, or public spaces, Latino communities will face the risk of being treated as suspects simply because of who they are or what they look like.
As a group of bipartisan Latino leaders, we recognize the government’s authority to enforce immigration laws, but we believe firmly that how those laws are enforced matters. This decision strips away critical guardrails, undermines trust in law enforcement, and erodes the core American value that justice must be applied equally to all. In America, suspicion must rest on facts — not faces. This ruling threatens that bedrock principle. NALEO will continue to fight for an immigration system that we deserve — one that protects public safety while safeguarding the constitutional rights of all who call this country home.”
About NALEO
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials is the non-partisan leadership organization of the nation’s more than 7,000 Latino elected and appointed officials.
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The NALEO Educational Fund is the nation’s leading non-profit, non-partisan organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.
