Federal Court Blocks Key Parts of Georgia and Alabama’s Anti-Immigrant Laws

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ATLANTA – A federal appeals court today blocked key provisions of Alabama and Georgia’s anti-immigrant laws. Significantly, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit found that section 28 of Alabama’s law, which requires the immigration verification of newly enrolled K – 12 students, interferes with children’s constitutional right to education. The court also blocked the Alabama provisions that would have criminalized the failure to carry immigration documents and invalidated contracts with undocumented immigrants. And in both states, the court determined that states could not criminalize the transporting or harboring of certain immigrants.

Omar Jadwat, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, said: “The court today rejected many parts of Alabama and Georgia’s anti-immigrant laws, including attempts to criminalize everyday interactions with undocumented immigrants and Alabama’s callous attempt to deprive some children of their constitutional right to education. The court explicitly left the door open to further challenges against the ‘show me your papers’ provision, which we will continue to fight in order to protect people’s constitutional rights.”

In addition to the ACLU, the civil rights coalition includes the ACLU of Georgia, the ACLU of Alabama, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Immigration Law Center, MALDEF, the Asian Law Caucus, the Asian American Justice Center, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

For a copy of the decision in Georgia, go to:
www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/georgia-latino-alliance-human-rights-et-a…

For a copy of the decision in the civil rights coalition’s case in Alabama, go to:
www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/hispanic-interest-coalition-alabama-et-al…

For a copy of the decision in the U.S. government’s case in Alabama, go to:
www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/united-states-v-alabama