We fight for Justice
Since our founding in 1972, our legal team has not wavered in the fight for justice for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
In our first major case, Chann v. Scott, we successfully ended the unconstitutional arrests of teenagers in San Francisco Chinatown. We took on the case because our neighbors and communities were facing racial profiling and discrimination - and our strategy centered their experiences and voices to win policy change that protects residents throughout the city. That approach and a commitment to community lawyering remain at the heart of our local, state, and national legal work today.
We provide hundreds of new clients each year with free direct legal representation, from fighting wage theft and evictions to protecting immigrant community members from detention and deportation. Our legal clinics serve thousands of San Francisco and California residents and we empower communities with know-your-rights trainings and materials in dozens of languages. Through impact litigation, we’re driving systemic change at the local, state, and national levels, from expanding voting rights and workers’ rights to protecting affordable housing and challenging illegal and unjust policies that surveil, detain, and criminalize communities.
Siskiyou Asian American Community Celebrates Restored Human Right to Water
Two years after Siskiyou County enacted a series of targeted ordinances that deprived thousands of Hmong American, Chinese American, and other Asian American residents of basic water for survival, hygiene, and wildfire defense, community members secured an important milestone this week in their fight to build a home, live safely, and raise their families without fear of bigotry and racist persecution by local officials.
Learn moreIncarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Californians Sue State Prison System For Illegally Discriminating Against People Suspected of Being Born Outside the U.S.
A lawsuit filed in California Superior Court claims that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) unlawfully discriminates against hundreds of people each year in its wholly voluntary efforts to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Learn moreKnow What to Do if a Federal Agent Targets You or a Loved One
As part of our work helping community members protect their civil rights, our National Security and Civil Rights program represents Bay Area residents who are unjustly targeted by the federal law enforcement, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and State Department, often on the basis of their race, immigration status, or religion.
Learn moreNews & Recent Cases
Learn more about our direct service and impact litigation, including press releases, blog posts, and case updates.
Report: Statewide Investigation on Voting Rights and Language Access
September 26, 2023
An Thanh Nguyen & Tin Nguyen: 'Freedom is to be there for my family when they need me.'
September 21, 2023
Value Our Families Teams Up With U.S. Rep. Judy Chu to Celebrate Reintroduction of Reuniting Families Act
September 19, 2023