This Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor the strength, resilience, and leadership of Hispanic and Latino communities in Virginia, Maryland, DC, and across the country.
At the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, we are proud to stand with Hispanic and Latino tenants, workers, and families fighting for justice and dignity. In September we secured a $700,000 wage theft settlement Latino construction workers hired to build a D.C. affordable housing project.
We have also sued the Trump administration for conducting immigration arrests and surveillance at houses of worship. We are in court to protect the right to worship, without fear, for congregations across the country.
Finally, we have gone to court to safeguard constitutional birthright citizenship for all infants born on U.S. soil, and to uphold Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, Afghans, and Cameroonians who face deportation to dangerous and unstable conditions.
From the courtroom to our communities to our churches, we are committed to protecting our immigrant neighbors, defending DC autonomy, and safeguarding civil rights protections for all.
Halting Illegal Immigration Arrests and Detention in D.C.
WLC is proud to stand with our courageous clients, CASA, and four individual community members in a class action lawsuit against the Trump administration to halt illegal immigration arrests in D.C. ICE and other federal law enforcement have arrested D.C. residents without a warrant and without probable cause—including U.S. citizens and people in lawful status. These illegal immigration arrests have swept in D.C. residents walking to school, to work, to church, to medical appointments—creating terror in D.C.’s immigrant communities. Through this lawsuit, we seek to halt this horrifying dragnet immigration enforcement.
Challenging the Deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.
A coalition of D.C.-based civil rights and legal service organizations has filed an amicus brief supporting D.C.’s lawsuit challenging the President’s decision to deploy the National Guard for law enforcement in Washington, D.C. The coalition emphasizes that military forces are unaccountable to D.C. communities, not trained for domestic policing of civilians, and make the city less safe.
Read our amicus brief here. Read the DC Attorney General’s complaint here.
Students Win Free Speech Claims in Lawsuit Challenging Renaming of Public Schools After Confederate Generals
A federal judge has ruled that forcing high school students to represent Confederate school names violates their First Amendment rights.
This victory comes after five students and the Virginia NAACP filed suit last year, challenging the Shenandoah County School Board’s decision to rename two public schools after Confederate generals.
The court ruled that high school students cannot be compelled to promote a message they reject, especially as a condition to participate in school activities like sports or clubs.
This ruling is a major step toward education justice—but the fight continues: civil rights claims will go to trial in December 2025.
Read the full press release here. Find national news coverage of this ruling here.
Li Reed, a Covington associate, represents clients in complex litigation matters, high-stakes investigations, and regulatory enforcement matters. She counsels clients through sensitive governance and policy issues and has experience at all phases of litigation before state and federal courts. In addition, Li maintains a robust pro bono practice focused primarily on civil rights and economic justice.
Li is co-counseling a landmark racial justice case with WLC. In May 2024, the Shenandoah County School Board (Virginia) re-named two public schools after Confederate generals.
The NAACP Virginia State Conference, along with five individual students, represented by Covington and WLC, sued the School Board. The complaint alleged that forcing Black students to attend a school honoring Confederate leaders creates a school environment that denies them an equal opportunity to an education and violates their right to Equal Protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. The complaint also alleged that the Confederate school name violates all high school students’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
In January 2025, Li argued the First Amendment claim in federal court. In September 2025, the court ruled, as a matter of law, that forcing high school students to become "walking billboards" promoting a pro-slavery legacy of a Confederate general violates the students' constitutional rights to free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
“The summary judgment decision vindicates our clients’ contention that forcing them to espouse pro-slavery, anti-Black messages is a violation of their First Amendment rights. I’m proud to represent and work alongside families and organizations fighting for the civil rights of marginalized communities despite—and in direct opposition to—the pervasive erosion of critical social protections in this moment. I hope this case can serve as a small source of hope in our continued fight for justice.” — Li Reed
Mario Torrico, an ArentFox Schiff associate, focuses on global supply chains, advising manufacturers on international trade regulatory matters, including imports and customs compliance, forced labor, and antidumping duties.
As a Latino lawyer, Mario dedicates his pro bono practice to advancing immigrants' rights in partnership with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC). Working alongside the WLC, Mario played a key role in achieving a prompt and favorable settlement for two Latina construction workers who experienced workplace sexual harassment. The resolution, reached just four months after the lawsuit was filed, represents a meaningful victory for employment justice and underscores the importance of protecting the rights of vulnerable workers.
A WLC Associate Trustee, Mario shares, “Working with WLC was a truly remarkable experience. WLC’s litigation on behalf of immigrant women, particularly Latina construction workers, is critically important, as studies have shown they are among the most vulnerable to workplace discrimination. I look forward to continuing to work with WLC to help protect workers’ rights, especially for those most at risk of abuse.”
Michael Chyobotov is WLC’s Workers’ Rights Advocate. He coordinates workers’ rights clinics (onsite and virtual) that provide free consultations to workers in Virginia, Maryland, and DC on sexual harassment, wage theft, retaliatory termination, and other matters.
A Vanderbilt University graduate fluent in Spanish, Michael has previously worked with refugee youth.
“In a time when our democracy faces mounting challenges, WLC’s bold litigation work has become an essential tool for advancing justice and protecting civil rights. Their legal strategies not only confront systemic inequities but also help uphold the democratic principles we all depend on. Our family is proud to support their efforts and remains deeply committed to investing in local nonprofits that are strengthening communities across the Washington, D.C. region.”
— The Carroll Family
Coming Down the Pike
WLC Is Coming to Your Neighborhood!
House parties are taking place throughout the DMV. Our staff and board members will discuss our work protecting our immigrant neighbors, defending DC autonomy, and safeguarding civil rights for all.
Board Co-Chairs Joseph Davis (Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP) Avis Buchanan (retired) Board of Directors
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs works to create legal, economic, and social equity for low-income marginalized communities in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, and across the country. We partner with individuals and communities facing discrimination and with the legal community to achieve justice. We bring strategic litigation to advance fair housing, disability rights, education equity, workers’ rights, immigrant justice, women’s rights, and criminal legal system reform.
