Court Blocks Implementation of Discriminatory Anti-Immigrant Law in Indiana

Law is Third of its Kind to be Blocked by Federal Courts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

INDIANAPOLIS – A federal judge today blocked the implementation of a discriminatory Indiana law inspired by Arizona’s notorious SB 1070. The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center filed the lawsuit last month charging that the law authorizes police to make warrantless arrests of individuals based on assumed immigration status and criminalizes the use or acceptance of the commonly used consular ID card. The groups also charged in their lawsuit that the law will lead to racial profiling and trample upon the rights of all Indiana residents.

Judges in Arizona and Utah have blocked the implementation of similar anti-immigrant laws in those states, and the ACLU, NILC and others earlier this month filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against a similar anti-immigrant law in Georgia. The ACLU, NILC and Southern Poverty Law Center have also publicly announced plans to legally challenge the draconian anti-immigrant law passed June 3 in Alabama.

The following can be attributed to:

Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana:

"We are very gratified that the Court has restrained Indiana from entering the immigration field and has prevented Indiana residents from being threatened with arrest and fines for no valid reason."

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project:

“We are pleased the court has blocked this discriminatory law from taking effect. Wherever civil liberties are threatened, be it in Utah, Arizona, Indiana or elsewhere, we will continue to challenge unconstitutional laws like these.”

Shiu-Ming Cheer, staff attorney with NILC:

“Today’s decision will prevent countless Indianans of color from suffering unnecessary and unconstitutional rights violations simply because their legislators passed a draconian law. We are pleased that the Court has prevented the most pernicious and discriminatory elements of this law from going into effect, and we look forward to the day that it is permanently removed from Indiana's lawbooks.”