Supreme Court Upends Foundational Legal Principle, Hindering Agency Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws and Protections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McNeil, [email protected]

WASHINGTON — Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce:

“The civil rights community is outraged that the extremist majority of the U.S. Supreme Court has once again demonstrated it will place the interests of the rich and powerful over decades of settled law and the protection of our civil and human rights. It has overturned one of the most important principles that has helped public servants implement and enforce our laws to protect us from powerful corporations and extremist, anti-civil rights forces. This principle of administrative law, known as the Chevron Doctrine, has meant federal agencies — more accountable to the public — could serve their role in implementing and enforcing congressional legislation. Today’s decision by lifetime appointees, the majority of whom are ideologically extreme, is an attack on the very idea of laws and democracy and wrongly allows judges to substitute their opinions for that of the subject-matter expertise of public servants.

“Communities across the country depend on federal agencies to interpret and enforce civil rights laws and protections effectively, and today’s ruling gravely hinders their ability to do so. This devastating decision could have drastic implications for the government’s ability to deliver on civil rights for the American people and for our democracy as a whole.

“Once again, as on abortion, voting rights, and other critical issues, this Supreme Court majority upends four decades of its own precedent, destabilizing administrative law and throwing into question thousands of regulations affecting civil rights, the environment, food safety, airline safety, consumer protection, accessibility, health care, education, and many other aspects of our daily lives. Disputes over these regulations will spend more time in courts and force judges to play the role of policy experts — substituting their own opinions instead of those of experts steeped in evidence and knowledge who have been informed by public comment and engagement processes. And although this decision doesn’t immediately take away any rights, it does sow doubt and confusion and will make it much harder to fight discrimination.

“Overturning Chevron was just one more step in the conservative anti-regulatory movement’s plan to make it more difficult for the federal government to fight problems like discrimination, pollution, gun violence, and unsafe working conditions. This is contrary to what we need our government to do, which is to protect civil rights and deliver on the promises of our democracy. As a majority of our Supreme Court justices take away our rights, we must unite to fight back and build a multiracial, thriving democracy that protects, preserves, and advances our civil and human rights.”

The Leadership Conference joined an amicus brief in these cases emphasizing the importance of the Chevron Doctrine to the enforcement of civil rights laws. We also published an explainer ahead of oral arguments in the case, which is available here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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