Tlaib, Cleaver, Lee Introduce Justice For All Civil Rights Act

Legislation to Restore Civil Rights, Expand Protections for Communities, Access to Courts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), alongside Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05) and Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12), re-introduced the Justice For All Act of 2025, legislation that pushes back against decades of conservative court rulings to restore the original intent of our civil rights laws by reaffirming the availability of discrimination claims based on disparate impact. The bill includes a private right of action and a prohibition on forced arbitration, both essential to allowing victims of discrimination, actual or perceived, to vindicate their rights, enjoin discriminatory behavior, and/or receive an award of damages and attorneys’ fees.

Tlaib’s re-introduction of Justice For All comes amid the all-out GOP assault on civil rights and civil liberties, and the Trump Administration’s full embrace of fascism. The bill is a direct response to the Trump Administration’s renewed, sweeping attacks on racial minorities, women, our neighbors living with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ Americans, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. For Tlaib, Justice For All is civil rights legislation with revolutionary potential, providing people of every background and identity the tools they need to fight the most insidious discrimination we see in our communities.

Specifically, the Justice For All Act restores and expands protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. America’s most critical civil rights laws have been significantly undermined by conservative court rulings, including the elimination of the availability of civil rights claims based on disparate impact rather than the more difficult to prove discriminatory intent. This bill would result in expanded protections, stronger civil rights, and a more inclusive America.

“The Trump Administration has unleashed an all-out assault on our civil rights—especially for our Black, brown, and marginalized neighbors,” said Congresswoman Tlaib. “Justice For All will equip people with the legal tools necessary to fight back in court. It is critical that we restore the original intent of our civil rights laws to fight injustice by empowering people to take on the discrimination they are facing—like racial profiling, housing and workplace discrimination, unfair auto insurance rates, and disability discrimination. We will not stop until we get Justice For All.”

“The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice — unfortunately, it is clear that conservative courts intend on making that journey as long and painful as possible by bringing us back to the days before the Civil Rights Movement,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Having overcome Jim Crow and segregation in Texas, it’s been extremely frustrating to see federal courts chip away at the Voting Rights Act, Civil Rights Act, and the progress that millions of Americans marched for decades ago. It’s past time for Congress to stand up and bend things forward again. I’m proud to join my friend Congresswoman Tlaib in introducing the Justice For All Act to restore the full power of America’s civil rights laws and ensure the next generation of Americans can continue to move the nation toward a more perfect union.”

“Our civil rights continue to be viciously attacked by increasingly far-right extremists that want to turn back time. Without new legal tools to fight back in the courts, the next generation will have less rights than the Black, brown, and marginalized folks who put their bodies on the line in the 1960s. We cannot let that happen,” said Congresswoman Lee. “The Justice For All Act would restore and expand protections from discrimination impacting communities across the country – from racial profiling to lower salaries, rejected loans, and unfair mortgage rates. Congress must pass this bill to help build a better future for every person who calls this country home.”

The Justice For All Act is also cosponsored by Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Chuy García (IL-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Delia Ramirez (IL-03).

This legislation is endorsed by the National Lawyers Guild, the oldest and most extensive network of public interest and human rights activists working within the U.S. legal system, and Defending Rights and Dissent, which works to strengthen our participatory democracy by protecting the right to political expression and defending the Bill of Rights for everyone in the U.S.

A summary of the Justice For All Act can be found here.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

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