Insurance Commissioner Lara issues statements following U.S. Supreme Court developments affecting California’s sanctuary laws and the LGBTQ+ workforce

News: 2020 Press Release

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued the following statements following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions not to take up the Trump Administration’s effort to dismantle California’s sanctuary laws and its hallmark ruling, which affirms that the protections of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to LGBTQ+ workers:
"By refusing to take up the Trump Administration’s appeal of California’s sanctuary state laws, the U.S. Supreme Court has protected California’s immigrant community from the federal Administration’s war on sanctuary cities and the president’s abusive, overreaching deportation efforts.  

California rightfully chose to protect the constitutional rights, privacy, and safety of our immigrant communities. As Insurance Commissioner and the head of a state law enforcement agency, we will continue to ensure all Californians, regardless of their origin or immigration status, are served and protected.

The president’s blatant hostility towards our undocumented communities will not continue to go unchecked.”

Commissioner Lara also issued a statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s watershed decision announced today, which protects LGBTQ+ employees from discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity:

“For the LGBTQ+ community and its advocates, today’s decision is a huge victory. Despite the Trump Administration’s harmful decision last week to reverse LGBTQ+ health protections, the U.S. Supreme Court has made a life-changing decision for so many people throughout the nation who no longer have to work in fear of losing their jobs because of who they are.

Thanks to this monumental decision, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 now unquestionably applies to LGBTQ+ persons in the workplace. This landmark decision is something that the LGBTQ+ community deserves and has fought so long for. As we continue to celebrate Pride Month, we must praise the end of this decades-long injustice, but recognize the battle is not over. We must continue fighting together to ensure equality for all so that all may live openly, proudly, and unafraid.”

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