FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dotty Griffith, ACLU of Texas, (832) 291-4776; [email protected]
Vesna Jaksic, ACLU national, (212) 284-7347 or 549-2666; [email protected]
Nina Perales, MALDEF, [email protected]
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit today ruled the city of Farmers Branch, outside of Dallas, violated the Constitution by passing a housing ordinance aimed at driving out Latinos.
The court concluded “the ordinance’s sole purpose is not to regulate housing but to exclude undocumented aliens, specifically Latinos,” and found the ordinance interfered with federal authority on immigration matters.
"Today's decision soundly rejected the Farmers Branch immigration scheme which was really designed to push out Latinos," said Nina Perales, Vice President of Litigation at MALDEF and attorney who successfully argued the case before the Fifth Circuit. "The federal courts have made clear that cities cannot make their own immigration laws and target residents for expulsion simply because of their race or nationality," continued Perales.
“Other Texas municipalities should pay close heed to what the 5th Circuit held today,” said Lisa Graybill, legal director for the ACLU of Texas. “Farmers Branch has invested over 5 years and literally millions of its residents’ taxpayer dollars in costly litigation trying to regulate immigration. As the Court held, immigration regulation is a ‘national problem that needs a national solution.’ It is time for Farmers Branch to give up its mean-spirited and quixotic efforts to do the federal government’s job.”
Omar Jadwat, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, said: “Today's decision conclusively rejects Farmers Branch’s unconstitutional attempt to turn a municipal law into an anti-immigrant weapon. It is another defeat for the ‘self-deportation’ movement and the latest example why states and cities should not be implementing hateful policies that lead to racial profiling and violate people’s fundamental rights.”
The challenge was brought by MALDEF, the ACLU and the ACLU of Texas.
To read the court’s opinion, go to: https://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/villas-parkside-partners-v-farmers-branch-tx-opinion-5th-circuit-court.
