FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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ATLANTA – A federal appeals court today blocked key provisions of Alabama and Georgia’s anti-immigrant laws. Significantly, the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit found that Section 28 of the Alabama statute, which requires immigration screening of newly enrolled K-12 students, interferes with children’s constitutional right to an education. The court also blocked Alabama regulations that would have criminalized failure to carry immigration documents and voided contracts with undocumented immigrants. And in both states, the court found that states could not criminalize the transportation or housing of certain immigrants.
Omar Jadwat, senior counsel for the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, said: “The court today rejected many parts of Alabama and Georgia’s anti-immigrant laws, including attempts to criminalize the everyday dealings with undocumented immigrants and Alabama’s reckless attempt to kill some children denying immigration.” their constitutional right to education. The court specifically left the door open to further challenges to the “show me your papers” provision, which we will continue to fight to protect people’s constitutional rights.”
In addition to the ACLU, the Civil Rights Coalition also 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 Georgia decision, see:
www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/georgia-latino-alliance-human-rights-et-a…
For a copy of the decision in the Alabama Civil Rights Coalition case, see:
www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/hispanic-interest-coalition-alabama-et-al…
For a copy of the decision in the US government’s case in Alabama, see:
www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/united-states-v-alabama
