AMENDMENT TO “WELCOMING CITY” ORDINANCE WILL MAKE IMMIGRANTS SAFER

Community members would be protected from coercion and threat of deportation

CHICAGO – Advocacy groups and Aldermen from the City Council Progressive Caucus announced the introduction of an amendment to Chicago’s Welcoming City ordinance that would make the city safer for immigrant communities. Authored by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago along with members of the Chicago City Council’s Progressive Caucus, the amendment would prohibit city employees, including police officers, from using coercion and threat of deportation against community members, and provide an additional avenue of accountability for police officers who violate the ordinance. (more…)

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Applauds Supreme Court Decision to Uphold Tax Subsidies

LOS ANGELES – Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) affiliates in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles praise the Supreme Court decision to uphold tax subsidies for federally-facilitated marketplaces authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Asian Americans, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have had access to critically important health coverage because of the ACA,” said Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director of Advancing Justice-LA. “Today’s Supreme Court decision reaffirms the validity of the ACA. Now all efforts must be made to ensure that those remaining uninsured individuals have access to affordable, quality health coverage, whether through Medicaid, the Marketplaces, or further health care reform efforts.” (more…)

U.S. Supreme Court continues to allow Fair Housing Act to fully protect Americans against discrimination 

Today’s ruling means a decades-long principle prohibiting housing discrimination remains in place

The U.S. Supreme Court today, in a 5-4 opinion, upheld the Fair Housing Act’s ability to protect Americans against discrimination and ensure equal access to housing.

The high court held in Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs v. the Inclusive Communities Project that the Fair Housing Act will continue to protect against all housing practices that discriminate, whether or not the discrimination was intentional.

In response to the decision, Asian Americans Advancing Justice issued the following statement: (more…)

In response to the recent case of Sherry Chen, a federal employee who was arrested on suspicion of espionage for China before all charges were suddenly dismissed, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) issues the following statement:  

As a leading national civil rights voice rooted in Asian American communities, we demand an investigation into whether race and national origin played a role in the shameful indictment of Sherry Chen, a dedicated scientist with the National Weather Service.  Because Ms. Chen’s case is not unique or isolated, we further call upon the Administration to examine systemic racial bias against Asian Americans in all federal agencies, particularly those with jobs requiring security clearances. (more…)