WASHINGTON – Lena Zwarensteyn, Fair Courts Campaign Director at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the Senate’s vote to confirm Cory Wilson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

WASHINGTON – On a press call today, civil rights advocates urged the Senate to reject Cory Wilson’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The full Senate will vote on his confirmation tomorrow.

Donald Trump and the Senate are completely out touch with the nation’s real needs.

Our response to COVID-19 and structural racism, along with a looming election, define who we are as a nation. The American people are in the streets meeting this unprecedented moment to call for justice. Meanwhile, many of our nation’s leaders are failing to act.

WASHINGTON – On Monday, June 22, at 12:00 p.m. ET, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and civil rights advocates will host a press call to oppose Cory Wilson’s nomination to the Fifth Circuit ahead of his scheduled Senate cloture vote that afternoon. The full Senate is expected to vote on his confirmation later in the week. The speakers will underscore how nominations like Wilson’s further entrench injustice and how judges play a significant role in our justice system for decades to come.

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedure Act, allowing the program to remain in place:

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, will call on Congress to bring about transformative policy solutions that promote accountability, reimagine public safety, and respect the dignity of all people. In particular, Gupta points to proposals in the New Era of Public Safety report and Vision for Justice platform that would help build trust between communities and law enforcement, restore confidence, and reimagine a new paradigm of policing. Gupta previously served as the head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the shooting of Rayshard Brooks:

On Monday, June 15 at 3 PM, advocates for health care, civil rights, and equal justice will hold a massive digital rally to engage activists in opposition to judicial nominees Justin Walker and Cory Wilson in anticipation of their upcoming Senate confirmation votes. Confirmed speakers include Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), as well as a multitude of activist and organizational leaders. Participants will be encouraged throughout the event to call their senators to speak out against these nominees.