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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Camila Gallardo
(305) 215-4259
cgallardo@nclr.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to block Alabama from enforcing a state law that would have allowed the arrest of individuals who transported undocumented immigrants within the state. In an 8-1 vote, the Supreme Court allowed the ruling made last year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta to stand. The lower court’s decision, in part, was based on the acknowledgement that immigration is the responsibility of the federal government and not the states. Today’s decision will impact similar measures adopted in states such as Utah, Georgia and South Carolina.
“This ruling today is yet another important victory for comprehensive immigration reform,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “The Justices have rightly ruled that immigration policy must be set by the federal government. It is time to turn our energy toward Congress, to create the space for a comprehensive package, since only then can we hope to fix our broken immigration system and create a body of laws that are just and beneficial to all Americans.”
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to begin markup of the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act” (S. 744) in May. There have been several extensive hearings on immigration, which have provided space for deliberation. Murguía has testified in two of those hearings.
“Real immigration reform is in the best interest of the nation, socially and economically. Creating a vehicle for hardworking families to earn their legalization and citizenship must be a centerpiece of our discussion on immigration because it is essential to restoring the rule of law. Study after study has shown that their full integration would be an economic benefit to the country,” concluded Murguía.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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