11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals opens door for State Law Enforcement to check immigration status of suspects in Alabama, Georgia
The Associated Press reports that while certain provisions within Alabama and Georgia’s state enforcement laws have been rejected by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, law enforcement officers in Georgia may in fact check the immigration status of criminal suspects who do not hold acceptable identification documents. Similarly, law enforcement officers in Alabama may check the immigration status of suspects, but the Court ruled that public schools may not verify the immigration status of students.
“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,” [American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Omar Jadwat] said in a statement. “The court explicitly left the door open to further challenges against the `show me your papers’ provision, which we will continue to fight.”
The U.S. Immigration Law Blog by Ashwin Sharma 