PRLDEF, a pan-Latino organization, promotes Latino Justice. We challenge discrimination against Latinos through impact litigation and we help Latinos become attorneys through our educational programs.

99 Hudson Street 14th Floor New York, NY 10013-2815 Phone: (212) 219-3360 Fax: (212) 431-4276 EIN/Tax ID: 13-2722664 www.latinojustice.org

Detailed Description of LatinoJustice PRLDEF

PRLDEF was founded in 1972 by three young attorneys to promote Latino Justice and protect the civil rights of Latinos. At the time, Puerto Ricans were the major Latino population in the Northeast; today, we work with Latinos from all over the globe. PRLDEF challenges barriers and provides Latinos with the legal resources to overcome obstacles that frustrate their dreams and limit their lives. Over time, PRLDEF has grown into one of the foremost Latino civil rights organization in the country.
For 35 years, PRLDEF has argued landmark cases that have had profound implications for Latinos throughout the United States-with regard to work, school, home and public places. We fought discriminatory hiring policies for civil service jobs, opened the doors to public housing for Latinos, secured public assistance services in Spanish, created pathways for success for Spanish-speaking children in public schools, and protected the constitutional rights of migrant workers. Most recently, we challenged delays in processing naturalization applications that were keeping legal permanent residents of this country from becoming citizens and voting. We challenged brutal raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on private homes--raids performed without warrants. We fought for the right of day laborers to gather in search of work. We challenged New York State's authority to strip hundreds of thousands of immigrants of their driver's licenses on the basis of immigration status. And we litigated for voting rights on behalf of Latinos in Florida.
More and more, our legal work reflects the tremendous needs of Latino immigrants who, like we before them, come to the United States to make their dreams real. These dreams include living in a secure and safe environment, owning a home, helping family members in need, saving for a good education for their children, and having freedom of movement across borders. These dreams are very much like those of other US citizens and residents. In addition, how Latino immigrants are treated has a tremendous impact on how all Latinos are treated-those born here, those who are naturalized citizens, those with green cards and those without documentation alike. Statistics show that violence against all Latinos is on the rise.
While PRLDEF is best known for our impact litigation, it is perhaps our achievements in promoting and supporting young Latinos who choose careers in the legal profession that will have the greatest effect on the future of the Latino community. PRLDEF's educational programs help Latinos who dream of entering the legal profession to realize their goals and become leaders in our society. As lawyers, they find jobs in industry, business, politics, and finance. Many of us on the staff and Board of PRLDEF would never have become attorneys without the support and guidance of a mentor. Now, it is our turn to give back-through our education programs.