AG HOLDER SPEAKS AT NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE

FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT,
Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference

Washington, D.C. ~ Monday, March 4, 2013
Thank you, President Rodgers, for those kind words; for your exemplary service as Commissioner of Douglas County, Nebraska; and for your leadership as President of the National Association of Counties since taking office last year. It’s apleasure to stand with you today, and a privilege to join you – along with NACo’s Board of Directors and entire leadership team – for this important annual conference. And it’s an honor to help welcome this distinguished group back to Washington this week.

Each year, this event brings together some of our nation’s best and brightest public servants for a series of wide-ranging policy discussions. It presents a chance to explore cutting-edge strategies for addressing shared concerns, exchanging ideas and information, and strengthening the vital relationships that will help take our collective efforts to a new level.

I’m pleased to add my voice to this critical dialogue once again this year. I’m proud to join so many essential leaders in confronting some of the most pressing issues – and urgent public safety challenges – that our communities face. And I’m eager to stand with each of you in building on the impressive work that’s underway in counties across America – particularly through innovative programs like NACo’s Smart Justice Initiative.

I know President Rodgers – and many of his colleagues – have long championed the kinds of proven, data-driven solutions that Smart Justice is helping to identify and promote. And I would be remiss if I didn’t note that, when it comes to criminal justice reform, NACo’s members are leading the way in implementing evidence-based decision-making processes, drawing on rigorous scientific research, and seeking opportunities to leverage scarce resources to improve the strength and integrity of local justice systems – and broaden the impact of the prevention, intervention, enforcement, and reentry programs that so many of you have helped to build.

As you know – and as your public safety subcommittee heard over the weekend from Director Denise O’Donnell, of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and Senior Advisor Amy Solomon, of the Office of Justice Programs – this type of approach has been fully embraced at every level of today’s Justice Department. And we’re not merely raising awareness about the benefits that evidence-based solutions can hold for other criminal justice professionals and public servants. We’re leading by example.

Over the last four years, an emphasis on becoming smarter and tougher on crime has infused – and informed – the Department’s work on a range of policy questions. And it’s driving current efforts to partner with NACo members, and an array of other government and private sector leaders, to develop comprehensive solutions to even the most complex and intractable challenges.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the work of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council – a group I first convened in 2011, which brings together leaders from 20 federal agencies to address reentry as more than just a criminal justice issue. After all, we know reentry is not just a matter of public safety – it’s also an issue of housing and health care policy; a question of education and employment; and a fatherhood and family challenge that affects millions across the country every year.

The reality is that – in America today – 1 in 28 children has a parent behind bars. For African American children, this ratio is roughly 1 in 9. In total, approximately 700,000 people are released from state and federal prisons every year. And another 9 to 10 million cycle through local jails.

At any given time, the sheer number of individuals and families dealing with the challenges associated with reentry is staggering. But thanks to the Reentry Council’s leaders and partners, we’re fighting to remove barriers that too often prevent formerly incarcerated individuals from smoothly rejoining their communities – and becoming responsible, law-abiding members of society. We’re helping call attention to successful programs, striving to dispel myths about reentry, strengthening our policies, and engaging with an expanding group of allies to advance this comprehensive work.

Despite the significant threat posed by sequestration – and the budgetary limitations we’ve all been forced to contend with in recent years – we are leveraging federal justice resources as never before, so we can ensure that the Department can keep supporting county leaders like you. To date, under the landmark Second Chance Act, the Justice Department has awarded over 400 grants totaling more than $250 million to support adult and juvenile reentry programs. Thanks to the advocacy of NACo and its partners, counties were included in this legislation. They now make up almost half of all Second Chance Act demonstration programs. And the results they’re achieving are nothing short of remarkable.

For example, one innovative partnership in Pennsylvania – known as the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative – has brought together jail and court officials with the county health department and the county department of human services. Together, these agencies have devised a screening and treatment initiative that has not only reduced the recidivism rate by half – when comparing participants to a control group – they have also secured a return-on-investment of roughly six dollars saved for every dollar spent on the program.

Under the banner of Justice Reinvestment, the Justice Department is also helping to bring about big-picture criminal justice system reforms – thanks to the leadership of state and county officials in states like North Carolina – by reducing corrections spending and reinvesting in public safety strategies. And they are doing so in a way that’s beneficial for both the state and its counties.

Of course, I recognize that there will never be a simple, one-size-fits-all solution for addressing our criminal justice challenges. But we can all be encouraged by the promising work– and the progress – that some jurisdictions are seeing when it comes to reentry. And we must not allow the size or complexity of any problem to deter us from taking action – particularly as we strive to protect the safety, and ensure the future, of America’s most vulnerable citizens: our children.

Last December’s horrific events in Newtown, Connecticut brought into sharp focus the need to reinforce our public safety efforts – and seek new ways to address the epidemic of gun violence that afflicts communities across the country, and touches every city and town represented here. In response, my colleagues and I have renewed our commitment to working with NACo members and other allies to reduce gun violence and prevent future tragedies.

Earlier this year, under the leadership of Vice President Biden, I worked with a number of my fellow Cabinet members to assemble a series of common-sense recommendations for keeping guns from falling into the wrong hands, keeping our young people safe, and keeping our neighborhoods and schools more secure. This comprehensive plan – which President Obama announced in January – is founded on a consensus that emerged from the discussions we convened with representatives from more than 200 groups. And it has led the Administration to call on Congress to adopt legislation requiring "universal" background checks, so that a full background check is performed every time someone attempts to buy a gun; imposing tough new penalties on gun traffickers; and banning high-capacity magazines and military-style assault weapons, updated and stronger than the bill enacted in 1994.

In addition to advocating for Congressional action, agencies across the Administration are working to implement the 23 executive actions that President Obama announced in order to provide federal officials – and local leaders like you – with the resources and information we need to keep our citizens safe. For instance, we reaffirmed our encouragement to licensed gun dealers to process transactions for private sellers using the NICS background system. We’re moving to strengthen this critical tool by addressing gaps, making certain that the information included in the system is complete and accurate, and ensuring that our laws are effective when it comes to identifying those who should not have access to firearms.

Beyond this work, the President has taken steps to end what had essentially become a "freeze" on rigorous, non-partisan research into gun violence – and effective strategies for its prevention – by the Centers for Disease Control. He has instructed relevant agencies to issue guidance making clear that, under current law, doctors are not prohibited from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement. He’s directed agencies to finalize regulations, under the Affordable Care Act, that will increase access to mental health services for those who need them. And he has asked Administration leaders to work alongside school districts and community officials to develop plans to make schools, institutions of higher learning, and houses of worship safer.

But all of this is only the beginning. The Justice Department is also working in a variety of ways to reinforce existing anti-violence programs – and to boost the capacity of proven allies like you. Since 2009, this commitment has led us to award more than $3.5 billion to state and local partners under Byrne-JAG – a grant program that helps agencies and departments across the country close budgetary gaps and gain access to the resources they need. Last year alone, we distributed over $14.5 million in local Justice Assistance Grants to 245 counties. Additional funding streams have been made available through the COPS Hiring Program – which, over the last four years, has awarded more than $1.5 billion to create or protect over 8,000 jobs in local law enforcement. And I’m pleased to note that the President’s plan to reduce gun violence calls for an additional $4 billion in COPS Hiring Grants funding to support over 15,000 law enforcement officers.

Of course, our ability to continue providing this support – and keep building on the progress that so many of you are leading – will soon be severely hampered unless Congress adopts a balanced deficit reduction plan and ends the untenable budget cuts that went into effect on Friday.

If allowed to persist, this so-called "sequester" – which will cut over $1.6 billion from the Justice Department’s budget over just seven months – will undoubtedly have a negative impact on programs affecting the safety of Americans across the country. It will curtail our ability to respond to crimes and other threats, and to investigate wrongdoing. And it will reduce our capacity to offer assistance and provide grants to partners like you – by eliminating over $100 million in grant money for awards like the ones I’ve just mentioned.

That’s why I’ve urged Congressional leaders to act swiftly in ensuring that the Department will have the funding we need to keep fulfilling our missions – and keep everyone in this country safe. And it’s why I’m proud to stand with NACo today in renewing my commitment to cooperation and collaboration in the face of any challenge; reaffirming my strong support for the vital work that’s underway in cities and towns across America; and refocusing our common efforts to build the kinds of safe, thriving communities where our citizens – and especially our young people – can grow and thrive.

In advancing this work, I am proud to count you as colleagues and partners. And I look forward to all that we must – and will – achieve together in the days ahead.

Thank you.

U.S. AG HOLDER SPEAKS AT 2012 LAVENDER LAW CONFERENCE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the 2012 Lavender Law Conference

Washington, D.C. ~ Thursday, August 23, 2012

Thank you, D’Arcy, for those kind words – and thank you all for such a warm welcome. It’s a pleasure to be here tonight, and a privilege to join with each of you – and with so many members of the National LGBT Bar Association – in celebrating and renewing our shared commitment to advancing the cause of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.

I’d particularly like to recognize the Association’s staff and entire leadership team, and to thank them for all they’ve done to bring us together for this year’s Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair. For more than two decades, this important annual event has brought together hundreds of legal practitioners and law students from across the country. This conference provides an opportunity to highlight the extraordinary work that this organization’s members are leading and participating in every day. And it offers a chance to reflect on the progress that, especially over the past few years, each of you has helped make possible – and to reaffirm our determination to carry this essential work into the future.

Because of your dedicated efforts, you have made this year’s gathering the largest minority recruiting event in the country, and the most successful Lavender Law Conference yet – with over 260 employers in attendance, including multiple representatives from the United States Department of Justice. In fact, I'm pleased to report that tonight we're joined by a number of senior Deparment leaders, as well as five United States Attorneys who are strong LGBT allies: Melinda Haag, from the Northern District of California; David Hickton, from the Western District of Pennsylvania; Amanda Marshall, from the District of Oregon; Stephen Wigginton, from the Southern District of Illinois; and Robert Pitman, from the Western District of Texas.

Through workshop sessions, career counseling, and panel discussions, this conference is providing a unique platform for mentoring and engagement among some of the best attorneys in America on cutting-edge legal issues. You’re helping to call attention to the obstacles and biases – in forms both overt and subtle – that continue to affect far too many LGBT Americans every day. And you’re encouraging collaboration, cooperation, and more effective advocacy as we seek to design and implement innovative strategies for confronting the most persistent challenges that far too many Americans face.

As Attorney General, I consider it a privilege to be part of this annual gathering, and to join such a diverse group of partners, colleagues, and friends in working to strengthen our nation’s legal community, and legal system. And as an American, I am deeply proud to stand with you in celebrating the remarkable, once-unimaginable progress that – particularly over the past three and a half years – your leadership and coordinated efforts have helped to bring about.

We’ve come together at an exciting moment. Thanks to the work of tireless advocates, activists, and attorneys in – and far beyond – this room, our nation has made great strides on the road to LGBT equality and the unfinished struggle to secure and protect the civil rights of all Americans. For President Obama, for me, and for our colleagues at every level of the Obama Administration, this work has long been a top priority – and I’m pleased to note that it has resulted in meaningful, measurable, and enduring change.

We can all be proud that, today – for the first time in history – those who courageously serve their country in uniform need no longer hide their sexual orientation. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, it’s worth celebrating the fact that so many brave servicemen and women can now serve their country proudly, honestly, openly, and without fear of discharge. We can take pride in the fact that, early last year, President Obama and I directed Justice Department attorneys not to defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. Since then, we’ve seen an encouraging – and increasing – number of courts hold this provision to be unconstitutional, including a federal district court in Connecticut that found that Section 3 fails to survive heightened constitutional scrutiny just last month.

And we can be encouraged by the robust efforts that our nation’s Department of Justice is leading to ensure the vigorous enforcement of civil rights protections in order to safeguard LGBT individuals and others from the most brutal forms of bias-motivated violence. Thanks to the outstanding leadership of my good friend, Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez – and the dedication of skilled investigators, attorneys, law enforcement officials, and support staffers within the Department’s Civil Rights Division and throughout its partner agencies – today, this work is stronger than ever before. And our resolve to meet evolving threats with renewed vigilance has never been more clear.

This past April, the Department issued its first-ever indictment for a hate crime based on sexual orientation under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act – a landmark measure signed into law by President Obama in 2009, which many of the people in this room helped to move forward – in relation to an alleged anti-gay crime in Kentucky. Since then, we’ve continued to review reported incidents that may fall under this legislation. Under this law, we’re working to strengthen our ability to achieve justice on behalf of those who are victimized simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. And we stand ready to vigorously pursue allegations of federal hate crimes wherever they arise; to bring charges whenever they are warranted; and to support the efforts of our state and local law enforcement partners to enforce their own hate crimes laws.

The Civil Rights Division is also taking the lead in bolstering our ability to educate and train federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials on sexual orientation and gender identity-based discrimination, in order to ensure that those who serve on the front lines are well-equipped to prevent, identify, and stop it wherever it occurs. Just last month, the Department filed an historic consent decree with the City of New Orleans to address allegations of discrimination and harassment by local police, including against LGBT individuals. In this agreement, and in our broader efforts to combat such actions, we have demonstrated the importance – and the effectiveness – of working closely with elected and appointed authorities to identify troubling practices, to correct patterns of repeated violations, and to craft policies and procedures that ensure the rights and freedoms of the citizens that our law enforcement officers are sworn to serve and protect. In recent years, we’ve taken significant steps to raise awareness about the role that community leaders, public officials, and educators can play in protecting a variety of vulnerable populations – particularly the youngest members of our society. And we’ve worked to expand and extend these protections to make certain that our children can feel safe in their homes, on our streets – and especially in our schoolyards and classrooms.

As many of you know all too well, every school year, bullying touches the lives of countless young people. As we’ve seen all too clearly, it can have a devastating – and potentially lifelong – impact. In response, the Department has been collaborating with educators, administrators, and students in school districts nationwide to investigate and address this troubling behavior. We’re working with our partners – including federal allies like the Department of Education, under the leadership of Secretary Arne Duncan – to explore ways to stop harassment and bullying before it starts. In places like Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District – where an investigation found that some students faced threats, physical violence, derogatory language, and other forms of harassment on a daily basis – we’ve successfully engaged with school districts and advocates to resolve harassment allegations and lay out detailed blueprints for sustainable reform. As we move forward, we will continue to promote safe and healthy learning environments; to support a Student Non-Discrimination Act that would allow us to better address harassment and bullying based on an individual’s real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; to provide assistance to bullying victims; and to work closely with local leaders, parents, educators, and young people themselves to make certain that all of our students can feel safe – and free to be themselves – in school.

Beyond these efforts, the Justice Department continues to support – and to fight for – legislative and policy reforms like an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would extend protections to LGBT individuals in all workplaces, and an updated Violence Against Women Act that would ensure that the law’s non-discrimination provisions cover sexual orientation and gender identity. Even in the face of extraordinary budget challenges, we remain determined to use every available resource to build the necessary institutional and legal frameworks to end harassment, violence, and discrimination – and to provide the safeguards that, for LGBT Americans, my fellow citizens, are long overdue.

But my colleagues and I aren’t merely content to advocate, and speak out, for these changes and reforms. We understand the importance of leading by example. And that’s why the Justice Department – and a wide range of agencies throughout the Administration – have taken decisive action to help create a more inclusive work environment for our own employees. To strengthen our mission of serving all Americans by recruiting – and retaining – highly-qualified individuals, like you, who reflect our nation’s rich diversity. And to make a sustained and concerted effort to provide the opportunities, support, and respect that every aspiring public servant needs to develop, to grow, and to thrive both personally and professionally.

No one understands the importance of creating such an environment – or has advocated more passionately on behalf of the LGBT community – than President Obama. Thanks to his leadership, this Administration has made historic strides in adopting inclusive policies and sending a clear message that the federal government is "open for everyone," and that it is an employer that accepts and respects every potential employee.

For instance, within the Justice Department, I launched a new Diversity Management Initiative in 2010 in order to expand and strengthen strategies and programs for promoting fairness, equality, and opportunity for every member of the DOJ family – which today includes an increasing number of openly gay or lesbian U.S. Attorneys – including my good friend, Robert Pitman – as well as senior Department leaders, U.S. Marshals, the keynote speaker at your Transgender Law Institute and three of the attorneys recently named to the National LGBT Bar Association’s "Best Lawyers Under 40," and an extremely dedicated, and ever-expanding, membership of a wonderful organization known as "DOJ Pride."

Earlier this summer, we held a Department-wide training workshop for managers across the country – which was conducted by a nationally-recognized expert on diversity and workplace inclusion, Dr. Richard Friend – who discussed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender inclusion as an imperative for effectively recruiting new talent and fully engaging all individuals in the workplace. In addition, the Bureau of Prisons has announced that every federal prison will appoint an LGBT representative to their Affirmative Employment Program, to help start a dialogue about issues facing staff members who serve in more than 120 facilities nationwide.

Now, I believe these new actions and policies constitute promising steps in the right direction. But, like everyone here tonight, I also recognize that our journey – as a nation, and as a legal profession – is far from over.

I know the progress we seek won’t always come as quickly as we might hope, or as easily as we would like. And that’s why, tonight, I’m not just here to thank you for all you’ve done to help bring us to this point; to highlight the Administration’s efforts in service of the same cause; or to celebrate everything that we’ve achieved together.

I’m also here to ask for your continued help, to draw on your considerable passion and expertise, and to reiterate the Department’s commitment – and my own – to building on the momentum we’ve established, and ensuring that the recent successes we’ve seen are just the beginning.

As current – and aspiring – leaders of the bench and bar, everyone here tonight understands what’s at stake. You realize how important every hard-fought legal victory – large and small – really is. You are – or soon will be – uniquely situated to use the power of the law, as well as your own gifts and knowledge, to help build a more fair, more equal, and more just society. And you have not only the power, but – I believe – the solemn responsibility, to do precisely that: to safeguard the rights and freedoms of everyone in this country, and to carry on the critical but unfinished work that lies ahead.

Of course, this never has been – and never will be – easy. But as I look around this room, I can’t help but feel optimistic about where your efforts will lead us – and how far our collective commitment will take us – in the months and years ahead. With the benefit of your partnership and the strength of your passion, I know that we can – and I’m confident that we will – continue the work that has become both our shared priority and common cause. And I look forward to all that we will surely accomplish together.

Thank you.

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER SPEAKS TO LA RAZA

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Council of La Raza Annual Conference Las Vegas ~ Saturday, July 7, 2012
 Thank you, Daniel, for those kind words – and for your extraordinary service that you provided as Chair of the Board of Directors.  I’d also like to thank President Murguía for her friendship, her outstanding leadership – and her unwavering commitment – to strengthening the legacy, and the record of achievement, that has been the hallmark of the National Council of La Raza for decades.

It is a pleasure to join you in celebrating, and working to extend, this tradition.  And it is an honor to be included in the litany of policymakers, elected and appointed officials, and leaders from all across the nation – and the political spectrum – who have attended this conference to speak with and learn from the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the country.  I also have to admit that it’s particularly nice to be outside of Washington today – and to be among so many friends.  And I want you to know that, in addition to your friendship, I am grateful for your partnership – and for the outstanding work that you are doing, in communities nationwide, to advance our nation’s long and ongoing struggle to ensure equality, opportunity, and justice for all.

In a very real sense, you are now on the front lines of this fight – the same fight that, more than four decades ago, inspired Herman Gallegos, Dr. Julian Samora, and Dr. Ernesto Galarza to create the Southwest Council of La Raza.  They were united by shared concerns and frustrations, but also by a common vision and a collective optimism.  As I look around this room today, it’s clear that their passion for righting wrongs; their dedication to assisting and empowering the Latino community; and their determination to build a more fair, more free, and more just society – remain as vibrant as ever before.  And it’s obvious that these qualities continue to guide this organization’s efforts not only to safeguard the progress that has always defined America’s history – but to build upon it.

Through programs like the Lideres Initiative – and campaigns like Home for Good, We Can Stop the Hate, and Mobilize to Vote – NCLR has established itself as an influential voice in protecting the civil rights of everyone in this nation; encouraging community engagement; inspiring future generations of leaders and activists; and ensuring equality in our law enforcement activities, immigration policies, housing and financial markets, school systems, workplaces, and voting booths.

Time and again, you have proven your ability to give voice to the challenges facing the most vulnerable among us, and to shine a light on the promises our nation must fulfill.  And, especially this week, as we celebrate the birth of our nation – and the rich diversity that has always driven America’s strength and success – this conference presents an important opportunity: to renew our commitment to the founding principles – and enduring ideals – of fairness, inclusion, and opportunity; and to reclaim, for ourselves and our children, the singular, animating force that – more than half a century ago – a young United States Senator named John F. Kennedy called the great “secret of America”: that this country is comprised of people “with the fresh memory of old traditions who dared to explore new frontiers – people eager to build lives for themselves in a spacious society that did not restrict their freedom of choice and action.”

Of course, each one of us has benefited from this remarkable – and uniquely American – spirit.  Like many of you, I was raised in a family – and community – of immigrants.  And like all of you, I have enjoyed the blessings of freedom, and the opportunities that – for more than two centuries – have been available to those who dared to set out for, and seek a better life upon, America’s shores.  But I also understand that – despite the truth and transformative power of the American Dream; and despite all the progress we’ve made over the last 236 years – our nation’s struggle to overcome injustice and eliminate disparities remains far from over.

Many of you know this firsthand – and have felt the impact of division, and even discrimination, in your own lives.  And I’m encouraged that all of you have chosen to respond by leading the way forward; by speaking out about the fact that we have further to travel on the road to equality; and by working to make certain that the hard-won progress of the Civil Rights era is protected.  Today, unfortunately, some of these gains have come under renewed threat.  And there can be no doubt that our nation now faces a moment of great consequence.  But this also is a time of remarkable opportunity.  And as you continue to lead national efforts to confront the obstacles that lie ahead and to uphold the values that have always defined who we are as Americans – I want to assure you that, in the fight to protect the civil rights of all – this organization will never have a more committed partner than the United States Department of Justice.

For my colleagues – and for me – our civil rights enforcement efforts are, and will remain, a top priority.  And under the leadership of my good friend, and your good friend, Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez – I’m proud to report that the Department’s civil rights enforcement efforts have never been stronger or more effective.

Over the past three years, our Civil Rights Division has filed more criminal civil rights cases than during any other period in its history – including record numbers of human trafficking, hate crimes, and police misconduct cases.  Through our reinvigorated partnerships with state, local, and international authorities – particularly Mexican leaders – and thanks to a number of anti-trafficking training programs that the Department has helped to create, and to expand – we’ve seen a rise of more than 30 percent in the number of forced labor and adult sex trafficking prosecutions.

These actions have sent an unmistakable message to those who would deprive others of their dignity, their freedom, and their essential civil rights – that we will find you, stop you, and bring you to justice.  They underscore our determination to secure severe penalties against those who violate our civil rights laws.  And they prove our commitment to protecting and empowering each and every victim we can reach.

Nowhere is this commitment more clear than in our work to combat hate crimes.  Since 2009, the Justice Department has prosecuted 35 percent more hate crime cases than during the preceding three-year period.  Today, we’re vigorously enforcing the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act – which President Obama signed into law in 2009, after NCLR, and so many other civil rights organizations, worked tirelessly to advance this critical legislation.  As the Department’s record clearly shows, we will not hesitate to use it – and every other available tool – to hold offenders accountable, and to protect your rights.

In fact, one of the first cases the Department brought under this law involved five Latino victims who were pursued along a highway – and brutally attacked – simply because of their ethnicity.  In this and other instances, the Shepard-Byrd Act helped us to achieve convictions – and stiff penalties – befitting the horrific nature of these crimes.  You saw further proof of this last year, when the Justice Department secured a conviction – and a prison sentence totaling more than four years – against an individual who sent a series of racist, threatening messages to the National Council of La Raza and four other Latino civil rights organizations.  But our dedication to ensuring fair and equal treatment – and our resolve to move aggressively in enforcing civil rights protections and ending discrimination – also extends far beyond our efforts to seek justice against those who commit, or threaten to commit, violent crimes.

In recent years, it has also driven the implementation of a series of new initiatives and enforcement actions that the Department has taken in order to eliminate predatory and discriminatory practices in America’s housing and lending markets – while establishing important protections for communities of color, military service members, veterans, and others who have been targeted.  In 2011 alone, the Civil Rights Division – through its new Fair Lending Unit – settled or filed a record number of cases to hold financial institutions accountable for discriminatory practices directed at African Americans and Latinos.  Among these was the largest residential fair lending settlement in history, totaling more than $335 million and involving more than 200,000 victims of discrimination – roughly two thirds of whom were Latinos.

Fighting against such practices – and working to eliminate bias and combat intimidation – constitutes a key area of focus for those who are engaged in civil rights work across every sector of our society.  This focus is particularly important when it comes to ensuring the integrity and professionalism of every member of our nation’s law enforcement community.

As many of you know, nearly two months ago – after a lengthy investigation into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, in Arizona – and following numerous attempts to work with the Sheriff there and his colleagues to address the concerns that our investigation raised – the Department was forced to take an unusual, and extremely rare, action.  The Civil Rights Division had no choice but to file suit against Sheriff Arpaio, the Sheriff’s Office, and the County for discriminatory police and incarceration practices that violate the constitutional rights of Latinos in Maricopa County.  These policies simply have no place in responsible and effective law enforcement.  And they must not – and simply will not – be tolerated.

In another recent case that NCLR members – and millions of others across the country – have followed with great interest, the Justice Department also challenged the constitutionality of an Arizona law that would have effectively criminalized unlawful status.  And, of course, last Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down major provisions of this law – confirming the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate with regard to immigration issues.

The Court’s action marked an important step forward – which will help to ensure that our nation speaks with one voice on the critical, and complex, issue of immigration.  Yet I remain seriously concerned – as many of you do – about the potential impact of other sections of the law, including the requirement for law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of anyone who is lawfully stopped or detained when there is any reason to suspect that the person is here unlawfully.

Let me assure you: the Justice Department will monitor the impact of this and other measures to make certain that they do not conflict with federal civil rights or immigration laws.  We’ll work to ensure – as the Court affirmed – that such laws cannot be seen as a license to engage in racial profiling.  And we’ll continue to enforce federal prohibitions against racial and ethnic discrimination, in order – as President Obama has promised – to “uphold our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.”
In line with this promise, just last month, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new policy that will help to focus limited law enforcement resources, protect public safety, and make our immigration enforcement efforts not only more efficient and cost-effective – but also more just.  Soon, certain young people – who may have been brought to this country illegally by their parents, but who pose no risk to national security or public safety – may receive temporary relief from removal and the chance to apply for work authorization.

There’s no question that this action represents a significant – and long-overdue – improvement to our nation’s immigration policy.  And we all can be encouraged that President Obama and other members of his Administration, including me, will keep working with Congressional leaders – from both parties – to advance the passage of critical legislation like the DREAM Act, and comprehensive immigration reform, in order to bring about fair and lasting updates to our immigration system so that it meets our 21st century economic and national security needs while continuing to honor our rich traditions and diversity.

In this work – as in the Justice Department’s civil rights enforcement efforts – my colleagues and I will continue to be guided by the legacy that organizations like NCLR have helped to shape.  We’ll draw inspiration from – and remain dedicated to – the sacred values that have always set this country apart, and made America an example of strength – and a beacon of hope – for all the world.  And we’ll do everything in our power to stand vigilant against any and all measures that threaten to undermine the effectiveness and integrity of our elections systems – and to infringe on the single most important right of American citizenship: the right to vote.

As part of this commitment, over the last 18 months – in response to a number of proposed changes that could make it more difficult for many eligible voters to cast their ballots – the Justice Department has initiated careful, thorough, and independent reviews of redistricting plans, photo identification requirements, and changes affecting third party registration organizations.  In each of the jurisdictions where proposed changes can be shown to have no discriminatory purpose or effect, we’ll follow the law and approve the change.  Where jurisdictions cannot meet this threshold, we will object – under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other laws – in order to guarantee that all eligible citizens have unrestricted access to the ballot box.

We also will move aggressively to protect the voting rights of citizens with disabilities, Americans living and serving abroad – particularly service members and their families – and the 19 million voting-age citizens who are covered by protections for language minorities.  Over the last year and a half, I’m proud to report that we’ve resolved eight different cases to protect the rights of Spanish-speaking, Chinese-speaking, and Native American voters in communities all around the country.  Today, we’re taking additional steps to review nationwide compliance.

And as my colleagues and I keep working to build on this progress – and strive to take all of our efforts to a new level – know that we’ll continue to rely on organizations like this one to help lead the way forward.  And know also that we’re depending on you to help us ensure that – in our workplaces and military bases; in our housing and lending markets; in our schools and places of worship; at the ballot box and in our immigrant communities – the rights of everyone in this country are protected.

As the advocates and activists in this room know all too well, this never has been, and never will be, easy work.  And although we can be proud of the great strides our nation has made in the decades since NCLR was founded – and since the day John F. Kennedy laid out his vision for an inclusive, “spacious society” – the harsh reality is that much remains to be done, and the road ahead remains far from certain.

So as we gather this afternoon – to look toward the brighter future we seek, and that, together, we must build – I urge you to keep rallying new partners to this work.  Seek new ways to expand – and extend – the promise that has always given shape to our highest aspirations.  Demand that policymakers move beyond partisan gridlock and political gamesmanship.  And call upon leaders in Washington – and in communities across the country – to reach for practical solutions to the difficult problems facing the American people.

As a result of your committed leadership, we’ve already come a long way.  Pero solamente juntos podemos lograr un future mejor.  But only together can we achieve a better future.  Thanks to your continued engagement, as I look around this crowd, I can’t help but feel optimistic about where our joint efforts can – and will – lead us from here.

Once again, thank you for all that you do – and keep up the great work.  Si se puede.