United States of America v. Jose Joya Parada

Our amicus brief in United States of America v. Jose Joya Parada urges the fourth circuit to reverse the district court's ruling that juror strikes in the case did not violate the Equal Protection Clause, and remand for a new trial. One of two jurors struck is a Black American originally from Nigeria, who was singled out for his manner of speaking English. The defense objected to the strike under Batson v. Kentucky, 479 U.S. 76 (1986), but the district court found no discrimination. The amicus brief argues that discrimination based on accent is equivalent to discrimination based on race and/or national origin, and this form of discrimination is particularly incongruous with the values of the U.S. immigration system and deprives individuals of a core right of citizenship.

The National Immigration Project filed this amicus brief with the American Immigration Council. We were represented by Ali & Lockwood LLP.