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Dear Jordan,
For 50 years the Washington Lawyers’ Committee has been dismantling injustice and pursuing lasting change. As we celebrate and reflect on the remarkable work we’ve done, we do so knowing that the fight must continue. As you’ll read in the stories below, discriminatory practices still continue to impact our community. Pease plan to join us to celebrate the past and look towards the future at our Wiley A. Branton Awards Dinner on October 23rd in celebration of our 50th anniversary.
Our ability to make a difference would not be possible without the generous contributions of our supporters. Sponsorships, tables, and tickets are still available here. Please also see a list of our generous sponsors at the end of this newsletter.
Thank you,
Jonathan Smith
Executive Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee
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Over a 25 month period, Metro Police made more than 30,000 stops and more than 2000 arrests for fare evasion in the subway or on busses. Ninety-one percent of the people stopped are African American and overwhelmingly young men. In our report: "UNFAIR: Disparities in Fare Evasion Enforcement by Metro Police," we analyze WMATA’s stop data which reveals profound and shocking racial disparities in enforcement. The data includes the race, age, and sex of anyone who was issued a warning or citation by Metro Police for fare evasion, and the location of where each stop occurred. WMATA's own data clearly shows that the Metro Police are enforcing the statute almost exclusively against Black people, particularly in African-American neighborhoods (Anacostia) or in parts of the city in which African Americans come in contact with Whites (Gallery Place Chinatown). Read the full report here.
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Committee Client
Erline Mencias Achieves Victory Against D.C.
Metro Police Department
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Last month, D.C. Resident and Committee client Erline Mencias achieved a great victory in his brave fight against D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In 2014, Mr. Mencias was relaxing at a D.C. bar after a long day working as a construction contractor. He was spending time with a fellow contractor he had met that day. At the bar, Mr. Mencias's colleague got into a fight. After Mr. Mencias broke up the fight, he drove away with his friend. The MPD investigated the fight and lawfully seized Mr. Mencias's van. However, after the MPD removed evidence from the van including the passport of Mr. Mencias's colleague, they did not return the van. Mr. Mencias needed the van and the tools in it in order to do his work as a contractor. He lost business and income and had to buy a new van, which affected his ability to support his family. Learn more...
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TPS Holders & Their Communities Lead Press Conference Following Oral Argument on the Government's Motion to Dismiss
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Earlier this year, the Committee partnered with CASA de Maryland and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP to challenge the unlawful and unconstitutional termination of temporary protected status ("TPS") for Salvadorans who, for nearly two decades, have resided in and enriched our communities. Read the full complaint here.
On September 12, the U.S. District Court of the District of Maryland heard oral argument on the government's motion to dismiss. Following the hearing, CASA de Maryland held a press conference on the courthouse steps - among the speakers were community leaders, TPS recipients, their families, and religious leaders. Skadden Fellow and Associate Counsel Tiffany Yang also gave remarks, which you can read here.
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