The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) condemns the Department of Justice’s prosecution of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Trump administration’s continued weaponization of the Department of Justice to dismantle civil rights and free speech.

The indictment of the SPLC is only the latest chapter in a deliberate and escalating pattern of using the government’s most powerful tools to silence, punish, and dismantle any organization, institution, or individual that chooses to hold a different view or pursue a different mission. This administration is now calling longstanding civil rights work criminal in an attempt to reverse the very definition of civil rights, and to eliminate the organizations doing this critical work. From law firms to federal employees to civil rights advocates, the message has been consistent: conform or face consequences.

Speaking out is not a crime. NELA stands in solidarity with all those committed to defending fairness and equality, and we will continue to fight for a legal system that delivers justice for all—regardless of who holds power.… Read More