Federal Judge Blocks Parts Of Georgia's Immigration Law

A federal judge granted a request to block parts of Georgia's immigration law.

The AP reports:

Judge Thomas Thrash on Monday blocked parts of the law that penalize people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants. He also blocked provisions that authorize officers to verify the immigration status of someone who can't provide proper identification.

As we reported in April, the law faced opposition from both agricultural business and Latino activist organizations. Civil liberties groups asked a court to declare the law unconstitutional.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that Georgia's new law among other things "unlawfully interferes with federal power and authority over immigration matters."

Thrash, reports the AP, agreed with that argument. Last July, a judge blocked parts of the Arizona's SB 1070, which is seen as the precursor to Georgia's own law. That judge used that same rationale.

The AP reports a federal appeals court upheld that decision and that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said she plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that state officials "indicated last week they would appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta if Thrash were to grant the preliminary injunction."




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