In the aftermath of the hate crime murder of Marcelo Lucero, community leaders and members have taken a strong stance against the anti-immigrant atmosphere that led to his death. Leaders from seven civil rights organizations held a news conference on Monday in Washington to denounce not only the killing of Lucero, but also the anti-immigrant actions and behaviors of politicians and the media that they see as conducive to such hate crimes.

Representatives at the conference, put on by the National Council of La Raza [1], the Asian American Justice Center [2], the NAACP [3], the Anti-Defamation League [4], MALDEF [5], the National Urban League [6], and the Leadership Conferene on Civil Rights [7], also called for Congress to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act, which would grant federal government jurisdiction over prosecuting hate crimes where local measures are insufficient.

On the evening of that same day, over 150 attended a vigil and march at Stony Brook University to demonstrate unity against the hatred and violence that led to the hate crime murder. The vigil was one of many events held in Marcelo’s memory, including a march in Hempstead [8] for better treatment of immigrants and a protest in Manhattan [9] calling for the resignation of Steve Levy.

Long Island Wins [10], an organization that promotes education about immigration and the contributions of immigrants, has created an online resource center for information about Marcelo’s murder and how you can take action against anti-immigrant attitudes. Check out their website [11] for more information about upcoming events and things you can do to help.