Lawyers for Civil Rights’ Community Outreach and Organizing Manager Marly Frederique reflects on recent developments in the legal field.
My name is Marly Frederique, and I am the Community Outreach and Organizing Manager at Lawyers for Civil Rights.
For many of us in this room, this work is personal. It lives in our families, in our communities, and in the realities we navigate daily.
Immigrant communities are essential to how Massachusetts functions. Haitian communities are a powerful example because we are embedded across the systems that keep this state running. That is where our legal advocacy comes in.
In education, Haitian immigrants are the teachers, counselors, childcare, and afterschool staff supporting young people. Lawyers for Civil Rights supports this work through advancing equity for all students by addressing discriminatory discipline, lack of language access, and bullying, and by advocating for inclusive and supportive school environments.
In healthcare and social services, Haitian immigrants are the nurses, technicians, home health aides, and community-based workers supporting families and caring for our elders. Through the transportation, infrastructure, and service industries, they are the school bus drivers, MBTA workers, construction and facilities staff who keep daily life moving.
That’s why Lawyers for Civil Rights protects workers’ rights by fighting wage theft and workplace discrimination, while ensuring that immigrant workers are not exploited or targeted because of their language or status.
Within the fair housing space, we advocate for fair and equitable access to housing by challenging exclusionary zoning practices and supporting policies like the MBTA Communities Act that expand housing and homeownership opportunities, while also protecting tenants from predatory practices.
Through our BizGrow initiative, Lawyers for Civil Rights connects small business owners with legal services to help them launch, grow, and sustain their businesses, strengthening local economies. These efforts and contributions are not just localized but are also shaped by federal policy.
This is why we are also fighting to protect Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
TPS has been a critical protection for many immigrants, including Haitians, allowing them to live and work legally in the United States while conditions in their home countries remain unsafe.
Earlier this year, a federal court blocked Trump’s efforts to terminate TPS.
But the government keeps fighting against TPS in court. The Supreme Court will soon hear the TPS case. For now, people remain protected from deportation and continue to have work authorization.
At Lawyers for Civil Rights, we are part of the broader legal effort to protect TPS, working closely with IFSI, Haitian Americans United and other partners and will continue our advocacy as the Supreme Court rules on TPS.
No one should lose their job, housing, or healthcare because of confusion about TPS.
We also filed a lawsuit to protect our communities from abusive ICE practices, challenging a federal policy that lets ICE officers enter private homes without a real court warrant. We are doing this work because your home is your castle and should always be a safe place. ICE abuse impacts our court system.
That’s why we’re pushing to keep courthouses safe. ICE arrests in and around courthouses are discouraging people from showing up. Survivors of domestic violence, workers facing wage theft, and witnesses are all avoiding court out of fear. When people are too afraid to go to court, justice stops working for everyone. We’re pushing to keep the courthouse doors open for everyone. No one should be too afraid to go to court.
This moment requires action on all fronts, legal, community-based, and collective strength. There is a Haitian proverb “Men anpil, chay pa lou.” With many hands, the load isn’t heavy. We must continue to show up for one another, to build across communities, and to ensure that no one is navigating these challenges alone.
Our work is grounded not just in legal advocacy, but in dignity. In making sure that the people we serve are seen, protected, and supported in every aspect of their lives. This work is important now more than ever.
Because dignity, safety, and access to justice should never depend on your immigration status.
Thank you. And remember: “Men anpil, chay pa lou.”