##Why it Matters

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund https://app.legis1.com/lda-filings/detail?id=2075359#summary) is pressing Congress on four pieces of legislation — two focused on immigrant protections and two on civil rights accountability — according to a fourth quarter 2025 lobbying disclosure filing.

The LDA filing 2025 report shows MALDEF conducting all lobbying in-house, with no external firms retained. The organization reported $0 in lobbying expenditures, consistent with how nonprofits typically report self-directed advocacy under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

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Why It Matters

MALDEF's congressional lobbying activity reflects a civil rights organization responding to what it views as a dual threat: escalating federal immigration enforcement and narrowing legal avenues to challenge it. The core challenge is practical — if federal officers cannot be sued for constitutional violations and if laws like the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 remain on the books, affected communities have limited legal recourse. A legislative solution would require Congress to both expand civil liability for federal agents and repeal or constrain the statutory tools being used to carry out enforcement. MALDEF's strategy appears to be engaging directly with sympathetic offices — particularly Sen. Alex Padilla's — while formally endorsing and providing feedback on specific bills.

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By the Numbers:

This lobbying registration disclosure reflects an in-house operation. There are no external lobbying firms involved.

Jesse Caloand Andrea Senteno are employed directly by MALDEF and appear to have no prior congressional staff experience on record, suggesting their backgrounds are rooted in civil rights law and immigration policy advocacy rather than legislative staff work. The two lobbyists appear together across the vast majority of MALDEF's approximately 27 combined filings identified in the database over the past two years, operating as a coordinated in-house team. Filing activity is concentrated heavily in 2025, with 21 of roughly 27 combined filings from this year. One filing from third quarter 2025 (ID: 2041819) reported $15,000 — an exception to the otherwise $0 pattern. MALDEF is a longstanding participant in congressional lobbying activity, with filings dating back to at least 2014 in the database.

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The Agenda

MALDEF's Fourth Quarter lobbying disclosure filing covers two issue areas — Civil Rights/Civil Liberties and Immigration — with four specific pieces of legislation named.

On the civil rights track:
- MALDEF provided feedback on the Ending Religious and Racial Profiling Act (H.R. 5727), which would prohibit federal, state, and local law enforcement from engaging in profiling based on race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin.
- MALDEF endorsed the Bivens Act of 2025 (S. 3187 / H.R. 6091), which would restore and codify the ability of individuals to sue federal officers for constitutional violations — a doctrine the Supreme Court has significantly curtailed in recent years.

On the immigration track:
- MALDEF discussed the Neighbors Not Enemies Act (S. 193 / H.R. 630), which would repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
- MALDEF conducted outreach on the text of the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 (H.R. 1589), the latest iteration of Dream Act legislation that would provide a pathway to permanent residency for individuals brought to the U.S. as children.
- MALDEF also requested a meeting with Sen. Padilla's office to discuss its broader immigration priorities.

All four bills are currently in early stages in the 119th Congress and have not advanced out of committee.

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Broader Context

The legislative environment surrounding MALDEF's lobbying activity has been active. The Neighbors Not Enemies Act was reintroduced in March 2025 by Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA) and colleagues, prompted by the Trump administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to carry out immigration enforcement and deportations. Rep. Ayanna Pressley called for passage of the bill in January 2025, stating the administration was "threatening to use outdated laws in his plans to carry out mass deportations." Rep. Delia Ramirez also weighed in in March 2025 on the administration's use of the statute.

On the Dream Act front, Rep. Vargas announced in February 2025 that he joined 200 colleagues in reintroducing the American Dream and Promise Act — the same legislation MALDEF was engaging on.

The Bivens Act gained notable momentum later in 2025. In December, Sen. Padilla and Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced legislation to provide victims of abuse by federal law enforcement the right to sue — directly addressing the legal gap the Bivens Act targets. That bill is particularly significant given MALDEF's disclosed outreach to Padilla's office. Separately, Rep. Seth Moulton introduced the NOEM Act in December 2025, targeting the same accountability gap for ICE officers.

On racial profiling, Rep. Vargas noted in September 2025 that people across the country had reported being targeted and harassed by ICE based on their appearance — the core concern animating MALDEF's feedback on the Ending Religious and Racial Profiling Act.

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Competitive Landscape

MALDEF is not alone in lobbying on these issue areas. Multiple other organizations filed lobbying disclosures in 2025 touching the same legislation. Several filings — including Filing #1973539 and Filing #2007272, each reporting $50,000 — surfaced repeatedly in searches tied to the Ending Religious and Racial Profiling Act and the Bivens Act, suggesting civil rights organizations with significantly larger lobbying budgets are engaged on the same bills. On the immigration side, filings tied to the Dream Act and the Alien Enemies Act repeal — including Filing #1999000 and Filing #1989275 — indicate a broader coalition of immigration advocacy organizations active on the same legislative priorities. One filing (#2000688) reported $470,000 in civil rights lobbying activity in 2025, suggesting at least one major umbrella organization is investing heavily in the same space.

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The Bottom Line

MALDEF's fourth quarter 2025 lobbying disclosure filing reflects an organization using its in-house lobbying team to engage Congress on legislation tied to immigration enforcement and civil rights accountability. The bills it is engaging on — none of which have advanced out of committee — address legal tools and protections that are directly relevant to the communities MALDEF represents. The lobbying activity is modest in scale but targeted, focused on specific legislation and a key Senate office.

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