Day Laborer Victory in Virginia
February 10, 2011
Anita Sinha (202) 728-9557
Advancement Project, in partnership with Virginia New Majority and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), helped secure a big victory for immigrant rights in Herndon, Virginia.
In June 2010, the town council of Herndon passed an “anti-solicitation” law, which made seeking work or soliciting donations by standing on a sidewalk or footpath an offense subject to a citation. Herndon officials have had an unfortunate history of targeting day laborers, and the passage of this anti-solicitation law was clearly the town’s most recent attack on this group and on immigrants generally. Legal and critical grassroots efforts ensured that this would not stand.
In October 2010, Advancement Project and NDLON jointly sent a letter to the Herndon town council outlining constitutional concerns raised by the anti-solicitation law. The letter and a series of conversations with Advancement Project sparked the town attorney to review the law and provide suggestions to town council members. Meanwhile, Virginia New Majority organized residents to contact council members and voice their concern for the discriminatory intent of the law through petitions, phone calls, emails, and by speaking out at council meetings. The combination successfully pressured council to take action.
On February 8, the town council, by a 4-3 vote, narrowed the law to only prohibit soliciting in the street (and not on a sidewalk or footpath). With these revisions, the law is now a true traffic safety measure and no longer targets day laborers.
Be sure to check out this news article outlining the Herndon campaign and victory.
Filed under Immigrant Justice, Virginia
