Friend,

A few months ago, I wrote to you about an important NILC legal filing and now, I have an exciting update to share — last week, during Supreme Court oral arguments, Justice Kagan referenced our amicus brief’s argument on judge shopping in Texas.

If you’ll recall, Texas has been handpicking judges to advance its political agenda on a range of issues, including immigration, abortion access, and the environment. Our legal team filed an amicus brief on behalf of a Texas law professor that meticulously documented this pattern and laid out why the practice is a threat to the independence of our judiciary. Our goal was for the Supreme Court to hear the message and now we know the work didn’t go unnoticed.

There is still a lot of work to do to overturn the damage that Texas has done, but this is no small thing. Our work matters, folks, and it’s showing up at all levels of government, including the Supreme Court.

Sincerely,

Lisa Graybill
Vice President, Law & Policy
National Immigration Law Center

Friend,

Did you know that of the 20 federal lawsuits that Governor Greg Abbott and the state of Texas have filed against the Biden administration thus far, 19 of them are being presided over by judges appointed by Republican presidents? This is no coincidence — in fact, Texas has been handpicking judges in order to advance its political agenda on abortion access, the environment, and especially immigration.

Among its tactics, Texas has been filing cases hundreds of miles away from where the state government is located or where most Texans actually live — instead selecting locations where there has never been a greater-than-five-percent chance of the case being assigned to a judge appointed during a Democratic presidency. This practice is harmful to the public’s interest and the independence of our judiciary, which is why, last week, we filed a brief with the Supreme Court urging them to put an end to it.

Our courts must be politically neutral to ensure our justice system is truly fair for all, friend. Our legal team is working to end this underhanded practice, and we need help from supporters like you to join us in our fight for justice. Can you make a contribution toward our efforts to hold Texas accountable?

What’s worse: Texas’s pattern of judge shopping demonstrates that it does not have the legal right to sue in many of these cases. The courts have long held that parties cannot sue over mere grievances and political disagreements, yet Texas is doing just that — it continuously picks where its cases are filed for political gain. Through our work, we hope the Supreme Court will send a strong message about the independence of the judiciary and overturn some of the damage that Texas has done thus far.

We know who is paying the price of Texas’s manipulation of the federal judiciary. Many of the injunctions instituted by these stacked courts have harmed historically marginalized communities across the country, including immigrants.

We will not allow Texas to continue its unlawful actions without a fight. Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Lisa Graybill
Legal Director
National Immigration Law Center