125+ Groups Urge Support for Adeel Mangi’s Confirmation, Condemn Baseless and Bigoted Attacks
Dear Senator,
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the undersigned 125 national, state, and local organizations, we urge you to swiftly confirm Adeel Mangi to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Many of our organizations have previously submitted letters and spoken out in strong support of Mr. Mangi’s confirmation. Today we join together to reiterate that support, highlight Mr. Mangi’s tremendous qualifications, and condemn the baseless and bigoted attacks being waged against this exceptional and historic nominee.
Mr. Mangi is fair-minded, brilliant, and has shown throughout his impressive legal career a steadfast dedication to equal justice for all, and he will be a tremendous judge on the Third Circuit. He is currently a partner with Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP and has maintained a significant pro bono practice. His work has secured landmark victories and has made a positive impact on people’s lives, and his confirmation would bring to the appellate bench important but underrepresented civil rights experience that is greatly needed in the federal judiciary. In addition to this exceptional legal background, he would make history as the first Muslim judge to serve on any of our federal appellate courts. There are an estimated 3.45 million Muslims in the United States, yet until 2021, there had never been a lifetime-appointed Muslim federal judge in our nation’s history. This milestone is long overdue, and an outstanding nominee like Adeel Mangi should be celebrated and embraced.
Unfortunately, despite Mr. Mangi’s impeccable qualifications, he has faced manufactured and baseless attacks that should never be endured by any nominee. The anti-Muslim tropes and unfounded assertions against him are the kinds of stereotyping that have long driven Islamophobia, which is on the rise. They also send a dangerous message to communities across the nation and potential future lawyers and judges that their path to the bench and desire to serve our nation will be obstructed by unfounded accusations based solely on their identity. Muslim communities around the country are reporting a rise in anti-Muslim hate and bias. Anti-Muslim bigotry should not receive reinforcement in the Senate, where senators have the constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on who serves in our federal judiciary. These attacks harm not just one exceptional nominee, but the strength of our democracy at a time when leaders must challenge and oppose civil rights violations and denounce hate and bias.
Despite the anti-Muslim vitriol Mr. Mangi endured during his confirmation hearing, he repeatedly while under oath condemned antisemitism and terrorism with tremendous decorum and professionalism befitting the temperament sought for these important appointments to the federal bench. He did so despite facing unfair, unfounded, and hostile questions, many of which were deeply offensive. Further, since his hearing, there has been a coordinated media campaign to amplify baseless attacks on his character. We remain united in full support of Mr. Mangi’s well-deserved nomination to the appellate bench and even more committed to the necessity of a diverse federal judiciary.
We urge senators to assess Mr. Mangi’s nomination based on his credentials and qualifications for the job, not his religion, race, or ethnicity. We ask that senators denounce the Islamophobic attacks on Mr. Mangi and on all Muslims. We also know that racism and hate facing many of our communities — including hate and bias experienced by Muslim, South Asian, and Arab communities — is further stoked by the kinds of dangerous stereotypes we have witnessed surrounding this nomination. We must denounce racism and hate in all its forms.
Mr. Mangi is eminently qualified and will be a fair-minded judge. No one should tolerate baseless and bigoted attacks and lies that are being created by an orchestrated campaign to take down the first Muslim federal appellate judge.
History will remember this powerfully important moment for the future of equal justice in America.
Sincerely,
National organizations
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
AFL-CIO
Alliance for Justice
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
American Friends Service Committee
American Humanist Association
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Americans for Financial Reform
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bangladesh Medical Association of North America
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
CASA, Inc.
Center for American Progress
Center for Common Ground
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Freethought Equality
Center for Popular Democracy Action
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Coalition on Human Needs
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Demand Justice
Disability Rights Advocates
Earthjustice
Emgage Action
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
Endangered Species Coalition
Equal Justice Society
Equal Rights Advocates
FFRF Action Fund
Haitian Bridge Alliance
Hispanic Federation
Human Rights Campaign
Immigration Hub
Impact Fund
Indivisible
Interfaith Alliance
Ipas
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
JULIAN
Just Solutions
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
League of Conservation Voters
Matthew Shepard Foundation
Muslim Advocates
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
Muslims for Progressive Values
NAACP
NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.
Nathaniel R. Jones Foundation
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
National Association of Muslim Lawyers
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Congress of American Indians
National Consumers League
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
National Council of Jewish Women
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Health Law Program
National Homelessness Law Center
National LGBTQ+ Bar Association
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Urban League
National Women’s Law Center
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
People For the American Way
People Power United
People’s Parity Project
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Presente.org
Pride at Work
Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)
Reproaction
Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America)
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
SHK Global Health
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
State Voices
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
The Lawyering Project
The Workers Circle
UnidosUS
United Steelworkers
Women’s March
State and local organizations
1Hood Power (PA)
AAPI New Jersey
Alaskans Take A Stand
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay (FL)
Association of Muslim American Lawyers (CT, NJ, NY, PA)
Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Courts Matter Illinois
Detroit Change Initiative (MI)
Equality California
Filipino American Association of Kodiak (AK)
Florida Rising
Maine Conservation Voters
Maine Women’s Lobby
Make the Road Nevada
Michigan Coalition on Black Civic Participation
NAACP Alabama State Conference
NAACP Florida State Conference
National Council of Jewish Women Florida
National Council of Jewish Women Georgia
National Council of Jewish Women Michigan
National Council of Jewish Women Pennsylvania
National Council of Jewish Women Texas
National Council of Jewish Women Washington
National Council of Jewish Women, Chicago North Shore Section (IL)
National Council of Jewish Women, Dallas Section (TX)
National Council of Jewish Women, Saddleback Section (CA)
New York Immigration Coalition
OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership (OH)
Philippine American Bar Association (CA)
Progress Iowa
Silver State Equality (NV)
South Asian Bar Association of Chicago (IL)
South Asian Bar Association of Connecticut
Stand UP Alaska
Why Courts Matter – PA