Breaking news today on the legal front regarding the Alabama immigration law. The Department of Justice has asked the 11th Circuit to block implementation of the law. A copy of DOJ’s motion is below:
The federal government asked an appeals court on Friday to halt an Alabama immigration law considered by many as the toughest in the United States, saying it invites discrimination against foreign-born citizens and legal immigrants.
The federal government filed the challenge to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. It claimed Alabama’s new law “is highly likely to expose persons lawfully in the United States, including school children, to new difficulties in routine dealings.”
The overhaul allows authorities to question people suspected of being in the country illegally and hold them without bond. It also lets officials check the immigration status of students in public schools.
A federal judge in Alabama upheld those two key aspects of the law, which have already taken effect.
As we’ve noted repeateldy, the new law is already having a devastating impact. Who would have thought we’d see headlines like Hispanic students vanish from Alabama schools and After Ruling, Hispanics Flee an Alabama Town in the United States in the year 2011? But, that’s exactly what the bill’s supporters want.
The full brief below:
Time Sensitive Motion for Injunction Pending Appeal (10.06.11)
