BOISE, Idaho — Regardless of your immigration status, or what language you speak, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution of the United States, and that's the message Latin Law Caucus students at the University of Idaho want to share.
"Sometimes I wonder what rights my parents have when they go to work," said Brandon De Paz, 2L Representative with the Latin Law Caucus.
That's one of the concerns U of I law student Brandon De Paz wakes up to each day, and he knows he's not alone.
Much like his parents, there are many others across the Treasure Valley with questions about what rights they have and what resources are available - regardless of their citizenship and language.
That's why the Latino Law Caucus students are holding a "Know your rights" event Saturday highlighting legal issues that are common to immigrants in the treasure valley.
"The legal world to non-regal people is often scary, and there is, unfortunately, a stigma around Latin communities and the legal world," said Emiliana McCormick, Vice President of the Latin Law Caucus.
Law students will be on hand speaking in both Spanish and English about tenant rights, housing rights, migrant workers' rights., and what to know when experiencing a criminal traffic stop.
As of 2022, around 42-and-a-half million people in the U.S. speak Spanish as their native language, accounting for more than 13% of the total population.
"There is a greater need, as we see in the Treasure Valley area, a larger amount of individuals who speak Spanish, and I think there is a need to connect with those individuals," said Cruz Araujo, President of the Latino Law Caucus at U of I.
During the presentation, the law students will role-play some of the situations that many might come across, and explain the best ways to handle them.
Local attorneys will answer any questions to reassure people and their families as they work to assimilate into the United States.
"We want to make sure the community has paper resources and can meet some of the attorneys in the area, and it can be less scary essentially," said McCormick.
The biggest misconception the Latino Law Caucus students came across as they connected with community members was the misconception that US rights don't apply to them.
" I think it's important to go ahead and look at what rights you have because you do have them," said De Paz.
The English session will start on Saturday at noon, and the Spanish one will start at 1:00 pm at the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho in Nampa.
