Ramapough Lenape Nation Sues NJ Town, Polo Club for Racial and Religious Discrimination
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[/caption]On Friday, September 21, the Ramapough Lenape Nation Tribe, represented by CCR and co-counsel, filed an amended complaint against the township of Mahwah, NJ, and a local homeowner's association, for acts of racial and religious discrimination against the Ramapough Tribe. The case centers around the tribe's rights to use its ancestral land, alleging that Mahwah, township representatives, and the Ramapo Hunt and Polo Club have coordinated to harass the tribe and deprive them of their constitutional and civil rights, out of religious animus, xenophobia, fear, and a desire to increase property values.
The Township of Mahwah has issued over 1,200 individual summonses since April 24th, retroactive to March 29, 2018, demanding up to nearly $1.5 million in fines. The summons allege that tipis, tents, a sweat lodge made of small branches, trash cans, and even bicycles are not permitted on Ramapough private land without a zoning permit or zoning plan. The Township has demanded that the Ramapough remove a stone altar and a prayer circle of logs with masks, as well as attempted to prohibit prayer without any structures as "religious use." The lawsuit alleges that by using the excessive fines and zoning violations, the Township and the neighboring Ramapo Hunt and Polo Club’s collective intent is to push the Tribe off what is valuable real estate.
Read more about the case here.
CCR Condemns Trump's Cruel Policy Proposal on Immigrants as "Public Charge"
In response to the Trump administration's proposal to designate hundreds of thousands of immigrants as potential "public charges," CCR issued a statement last week, in part below:
"The Trump Administration’s proposed regulation to deny admission and lawful permanent residence to immigrants who have used or may use even minimal public benefits is maximum cruelty.
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Demonizing poverty and disability and inflating the well-discredited myth of immigrants as a 'tax burden,' the proposal is another attempt to dehumanize immigrants of color in order to further the Administration's xenophobic, white supremacist agenda. It has the potential to separate hundreds of thousands of immigrants from their family members and to frighten millions away from accessing life-saving support for which they are eligible. Coming after Trump's bleeding of national resources in order to provide massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest individuals in the country, this attack on working-class immigrant communities, which even the Administration admits will impose billions in costs on immigrants and states and localities, is cynical and immoral."
Read the full statement here.
Change is Good: New Identity Reveal Party, October 18th, NYC
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[/caption]Celebrate with the CCR after our annual Celebrates Changemakers event as we reveal our new look: Thursday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Hudson Mercantile (500 West 36th St., New York, NY. Accessible entrance: 463 10th Ave.) The event will feature a lively interactive and immersive walk through CCR's past, present, and future. We'll have dancing, swag, heavy hors d'oeuvres and an open bar. We can't wait to see you there! Kindly RSVP by October 11.
CCR Now Hiring an Advocacy Director
The Center for Constitutional Rights is seeking an Advocacy Director to lead CCR's advocacy and develop its campaign initiatives, both independently of and in conjunction with our litigation work. Learn more about the position and apply here.
