Civil Rights Coalition Challenge to Anti-Immigrant Laws

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2012

CONTACT
Adela de la Torre, National Immigration Law Center (NILC), (213) 400-7822; [email protected]

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

Civil Rights Coalition in Court Thursday to Challenge Alabama and Georgia Anti-Immigrant Laws

Press Conference to Take Place After Hearing

ATLANTA – Attorneys from the National Immigration Law Center, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups will be at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit Thursday to present arguments against Alabama and Georgia’s anti-immigrant laws.

In addition to the ACLU, SPLC and NILC, the civil rights coalition includes MALDEF, the ACLU of Georgia, the ACLU of Alabama, the Asian American Justice Center, LatinoJustice PRLDEF and NDLON. The groups brought lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of a number of provisions in HB 87 in Georgia and HB 56 in Alabama. While key sections of the Georgia law have been blocked by the district court, major components of the Alabama law went into effect in September, leading to widespread civil rights abuses.  Some portions of Alabama’s law were successfully blocked by the federal courts and the civil rights coalition will also be defending these provisions on Thursday.

WHAT:

Federal appeals court hearing where the civil rights coalition will present arguments in the Alabama and Georgia anti-immigrant law cases. Omar Jadwat, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, will present arguments in the Georgia case. Samuel Brooke of SPLC and Cecillia Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, will present arguments in the Alabama case. A news conference will follow the hearing.

WHO:

They will be joined by Marielena Hincapié, executive director, National Immigration Law Center, Mary Bauer, legal director, Southern Poverty Law Center and plaintiffs from both cases.

WHEN:

Court hearing will begin at 9am EST on Thursday, March 1; press conference will follow outside the courthouse immediately after.

WHERE:

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, 56 Forsyth Street, N.W., Atlanta, GA, 30303

For more information about the Alabama case, go here: http://www.nilc.org/hb56hvb.html.

For more information about the Georgia case, go here: http://www.nilc.org/hb87.html.