Thread: Mexico allowed to sue states with new immigration laws

Immigration Reform Examiner
Dave Gibson

Mexico, other nations allowed to sue states with new immigration laws

Last week, several Latin American countries filed an amicus brief in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City in opposition to a new Utah law which allows local law enforcement to arrest illegal aliens and bans them from using state-funded services.

The brief was filed by the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

While the Utah legislation was actually enacted on March 15, a stay was issued by the federal court on May 10—blocking the law from going into effect until the constitutionality of such laws is decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Though it would seem that foreign governments lack any legal standing in attempting to block state legislatures from enacting laws, the precedent was set for such meddling last year in the wake of Arizona’s SB1070 legislation.

In October 2010, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the nations of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru could file briefs against the state of Arizona.


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