MALDEF

Supreme Court To Review Arizona Employability Verification Law

MALDEF President and General Counsel, Thomas A. Saenz, Comments on the Court’s Action

June 28, 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision today to review Chamber of Commerce v. Candelaria a case that challenges Arizona 's attempt to enact its own regulation of eligibility to work:

"We welcome the news that the Supreme Court will consider whether the state of Arizona has the ability to expand on the longstanding, exclusive federal law governing employer verification of eligibility to work. This case presents an important opportunity for the Court to clarify once again that our Constitution allows only one set of immigration regulations, established by the federal government. No state, no matter how dissatisfied with the federal regulatory scheme, has the right to expand on federal immigration law and practice."

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the “law firm of the Latino community,” MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access.

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