Federal appeals court finds key portions of South Carolina anti-immigrant law should be blocked, 澳彩开奖 case moves forward
A federal appeals court upheld a lower court鈥檚 decision to block sections of South Carolina鈥檚 anti-immigrant law today, allowing an 澳彩开奖 case challenging the law to continue and to potentially block a section of the law that allows police to act as immigration agents and demand an individual鈥檚 鈥減apers.鈥�
A federal appeals court upheld a lower court鈥檚 decision to block sections of South Carolina鈥檚 anti-immigrant law today, allowing an 澳彩开奖 case challenging the law to continue and to potentially block a section of the law that allows police to act as immigration agents and demand an individual鈥檚 鈥減apers.鈥�
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed preliminary injunctions blocking sections of the law that criminalized everyday interactions with undocumented immigrants, including acts of kindness, such as giving a person a ride. The appeals court also affirmed a lower court鈥檚 decision to block provisions regarding immigration and identification documents, such as a provision that required adults to carry such documents or face a state misdemeanor charge.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 decision closes a dark chapter in South Carolina,鈥� said Sam Brooke, senior 澳彩开奖 staff attorney. 鈥淭he courts have consistently ruled that hate-filled state laws that try to drive an entire class of people from their borders will not be tolerated. Today鈥檚 ruling that South Carolina may not criminalize neighborly acts of kindness ensures that all people will be treated fairly under the law.聽 Today is a good day for all South Carolinians.鈥�
The 澳彩开奖 and a coalition of civil rights groups and advocates filed suit against the law in October 2011. The U.S. Department of Justice, which later challenged the law in court, also argued that it should be blocked because it interferes with federal immigration law.
The appeals court鈥檚 decision cites the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 decision striking down much of Arizona鈥檚 anti-immigrant law, which served as a model for the South Carolina law. It also cites the 澳彩开奖鈥檚 challenge to Georgia鈥檚 anti-immigrant law as well as the U.S. Department of Justice鈥檚 challenge to a similar law in Alabama, which has been challenged by the 澳彩开奖.
The 澳彩开奖鈥檚 co-counsel in the South Carolina case include the National Immigration Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the ACLU of South Carolina, the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center, LatinoJustice PRLDEF and the Lloyd Law Firm and Rosen, Rosen & Hagood.`
