Immigrants’ Rights

THE FULL FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT STRIKES DOWN DISCRIMINATORY, ANTI-IMMIGRANT ORDINANCE IN FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS

NEW ORLEANS, LA -In a 9-5 ruling issued Monday, the full United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down an anti-immigrant, discriminatory ordinance in Farmers Branch, Texas that would have prohibited landlords from renting to immigrants that the city deemed unlawfully present and authorized arrest and prosecution of landlords and tenants found in violation of the law. Under the ordinance, all prospective renters would have been required to provide information about their immigration status and obtain a rental license from the city building inspector, who would be responsible for determining immigration status.

FOURTH CIRCUIT UPHOLDS DECISION TO BLOCK KEY PORTIONS OF SOUTH CAROLINA ANTI-IMMIGRANT LAW

RICHMOND, VA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a lower court’s decision to block key components of SB 20, South Carolina’s Arizona-style anti-immigrant law. As a result, provisions of the law that would have criminalized daily interactions with immigrants present without status, as well as provisions pertaining to use of identification and registration immigration documents will remain blocked.

Arizona Proposition 200 (Gonzalez v. Brewer)

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering the constitutionality of a provision in Arizona’s Proposition 200, a 2004 anti-immigrant law, that requires that new voter registration applicants provide one of a limited set of documents to prove citizenship. Since its implementation, over 31,500 applicants have been rejected for failing to provide the additional paperwork required . In Arizona’s largest county, voter registration through community-based drives dropped 44%. Individuals whose registrations were rejected under Proposition 200 reflect the general demographics of Arizona and include people of all races, ages and political affiliations.