Georgia asks judge to dismiss suit over immigration law

June 14, 2011


By Associated Press


For the AJC

ATLANTA β€” Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and other state officials named in a federal lawsuit that seeks to block the state's law cracking down on illegal immigration have asked a judge to dismiss the suit.

The state on Tuesday filed the motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed earlier this month by civil liberties groups. The civil liberties groups want a judge to declare Georgia's law unconstitutional and also to block it from being enforced.

The groups filed a request last week asking the judge to bar the law from taking effect until the lawsuit has been resolved. The judge is set to hear arguments June 20 on that request.

The state's motion comes a day after a Georgia lawyer filed another lawsuit asking the federal government to intervene to block the law.

Jerome Lee filed the suit Monday in federal court in Atlanta on behalf of the Association of Persons Concerned with HB 87. The suit describes the organization as a group lawyers, immigrants and civic organizations.

The suit names federal officials, including the president, as defendants. The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The federal government did sue to block implementation of a similar law in Arizona last year.

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