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Local Anti-Immigrant Ordinance Cases In dozens of cities across the country, local government officials are attempting to drive those they describe as “illegal immigrants” out of their towns by punishing those who employ or rent to them. Learn more >>

Federal Court Of Appeals Hears Arguments On Hazleton Anti-Immigrant Law (10/30/2008)
PHILADELPHIA – The American Civil Liberties Union argued in an appellate court today that it should uphold the landmark July 2007 ruling by a federal court in Pennsylvania that declared the city of Hazleton's anti-immigrant law unconstitutional. Hazleton's law would punish landlords and employers who are accused of renting to or hiring anyone the city classifies as an "illegal alien."

Farmers Branch, Texas Anti-Immigrant Ordinance Is Blocked While Challenge Continues (09/22/2008)
DALLAS – City officials in Farmers Branch, Texas today agreed not to fight a request from residents to block the city's latest anti-immigrant ordinance from taking effect while a legal challenge continues. The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) filed a request in federal court on the residents' behalf for a preliminary injunction blocking the ordinance. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas is expected to enter the injunction today.

Appellate Court Declines to Overturn Arizona Employer Sanctions Law (09/17/2008)

ACLU And MALDEF File Lawsuit To Stop Farmers Branch Newest Anti-Immigrant Ordinance (09/15/2008)
DALLAS – Friday, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Texas filed a complaint in federal court charging that Farmers Branch Ordinance 2952 violates the U.S. Constitution and federal and state statutes. The ordinance, which requires all renters in Farmers Branch to register their presence with the City and obtain an occupancy license, is the city's third effort to restrict residency in Farmers Branch.

Court Blocks Local Arizona Anti-Solicitation Law (08/08/2008)
PHOENIX – The U.S District Court in Phoenix today blocked the town of Cave Creek, Arizona from enforcing an anti-solicitation ordinance that infringes on the free speech rights of day laborers in that town. The order ensures that day laborers will be able to exercise their constitutional rights by expressing their availability to work in public areas.

Reyes et al. v. City of Farmers Branch - Complaint (09/12/2008)

Castelano, et al. v. Rice, et al. - Second Amended Complaint (09/09/2008)

Lopez, et al. vs. Town of Cave Creek, et. al. - Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction (08/08/2008)

Lopez-Valenzuela, et al. v. Maricopa County, et al. - Response to Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (06/13/2008)

Lopez, et al vs. Town of Cave Creek - Motion for Preliminary Injunction Granted (06/02/2008)

ACLU Backgrounder on English Only Policies in Congress (12/10/2007)
In 2006 the Senate took up an amendment to make English the national language in connection with the Comprehensive Immigration Reform (“CIR”) Act. The amendment, offered by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), passed the Senate by a vote of 62 to 35. This amendment was substantially diluted by the subsequent passage of an alternative amendment by Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) which declared English as the “common and unifying language of the United States.” Both amendments, largely symbolic in nature, died when the Senate failed to pass CIR. Similar amendments were introduced and passed in the 2007 version of the CIR, which also failed to become law. Nonetheless, the fact that nearly two-thirds of the Senate voted to make English the national language illustrates the intense, and unfortunately misguided, fervor surrounding the English-only debate.

ACLU of Virginia Letter to Prince William County Board of Supervisors (07/09/2007)

Escondido, Calif., Resolution No. 2007-16 and Final Statement (01/10/2007)
Escondido, California's, Resolution No. 2007-16 and final statement.

Farmers Branch, Texas, Ordinance No. 2892 (01/02/2007)

Hazleton, Pa., Ordinance No. 2006-40 (12/26/2006)
Entitled "Illegal Immigration Relief Act Implementation Amendment," this ordinance is the third version of the city's Illegal Immigration Relief Act.

Government "manual" distributed to Iowa defense lawyers (07/31/2008)
Government "manual" distributed to defense lawyers assigned to represent immigrant workers arrested and prosecuted in the May 2008 Postville, Iowa meat packing raids.

Letter to Esmeralda County School District Superintendent Robert Aumaugher (01/31/2008)
Letter from the ACLU of Nevada and the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project requesting Aumaugher to reconsider and rescind the school district's policy prohibiting public high school students in the district from speaking Spanish while riding the school bus.

Anti-Immigrant Ordinances: Cherokee County, Ga. (01/19/2007)

Anti-Immigrant Ordinances: Valley Park, Mo. (01/05/2007)

Anti-Immigrant Ordinances: Riverside, N.J. (01/05/2007)

Lopez-Valenzuela, et al. v. Maricopa County, et al. (04/04/2008)
In April 2006, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund challenged the Arizona anti-immigrant law Proposition 100 in federal court because it violates the Constitution and unjustly denies a select group of people a fair legal process. The law forbids judges from considering bail for criminal defendants who are suspected of having "entered or remained in the United States illegally" and applies to most state felony charges in Arizona, including relatively minor crimes such as shoplifting and possessing a phony ID. As a result of Proposition 100, countless individuals are jailed who pose no risk of flight or danger to others.

Valle del Sol v. Goddard (11/14/2007)
Civil Rights Coalition Argues Arizona Employer Sanctions Law Is Illegal

Federal Court Of Appeals Hears Arguments On Hazleton Anti-Immigrant Law (10/30/2008)
PHILADELPHIA – The American Civil Liberties Union argued in an appellate court today that it should uphold the landmark July 2007 ruling by a federal court in Pennsylvania that declared the city of Hazleton's anti-immigrant law unconstitutional. Hazleton's law would punish landlords and employers who are accused of renting to or hiring anyone the city classifies as an "illegal alien."

Farmers Branch, Texas Anti-Immigrant Ordinance Is Blocked While Challenge Continues (09/22/2008)
DALLAS – City officials in Farmers Branch, Texas today agreed not to fight a request from residents to block the city's latest anti-immigrant ordinance from taking effect while a legal challenge continues. The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) filed a request in federal court on the residents' behalf for a preliminary injunction blocking the ordinance. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas is expected to enter the injunction today.

Appellate Court Declines to Overturn Arizona Employer Sanctions Law (09/17/2008)

ACLU And MALDEF File Lawsuit To Stop Farmers Branch Newest Anti-Immigrant Ordinance (09/15/2008)
DALLAS – Friday, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Texas filed a complaint in federal court charging that Farmers Branch Ordinance 2952 violates the U.S. Constitution and federal and state statutes. The ordinance, which requires all renters in Farmers Branch to register their presence with the City and obtain an occupancy license, is the city's third effort to restrict residency in Farmers Branch.

Court Blocks Local Arizona Anti-Solicitation Law (08/08/2008)
PHOENIX – The U.S District Court in Phoenix today blocked the town of Cave Creek, Arizona from enforcing an anti-solicitation ordinance that infringes on the free speech rights of day laborers in that town. The order ensures that day laborers will be able to exercise their constitutional rights by expressing their availability to work in public areas.