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ACLU; FIAC; PRLDEF; Weil, Gotshal & Manges All Vow to Sue Over Palm Bay Anti-Immigrant Ordinance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
CONTACTS:
Brandon Hensler, Director of Communications, 786-363-2700
Kevin Aplin, ACLU-Brevard Chapter, 321-768-6262
PALM BAY, Fla. – The ACLU of Florida, FIAC, PRLDEF and the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges today sent a letter to the City of Palm Bay expressing opposition to the anti-immigrant ordinances (No.’s 2006-80 and 2006-81) which are under consideration by the Palm Bay City Council. Should the Council vote to pass the ordinance, the organizations have vowed to challenge the laws in court on behalf of Palm Bay constituents.
Prior to the August 17 city council meeting, opponents of the ordinances will gather for a vigil and march on city hall at 6PM at 300 Malabar Rd in Palm Bay.
The letter of opposition was sent on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC), the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF), and the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. All groups are interested in a swift resolution and implore the Council not to pass the Ordinances.
“The laws, which are based on nothing more than prejudice and hostility to immigrants do nothing to protect the community and only lead to discrimination against Latinos and other ethnic groups,” said Kevin Aplin of the ACLU of Florida’s Brevard Chapter. “Employers who fear retribution for hiring undocumented workers – even if they are unaware of their citizenship status – may begin to discriminate to avoid potential legal complications. The city is creating a situation that hurts everyone and helps no one.”
The most overreaching parts of the Ordinances place civil penalties on employers who are in violation of federal law. Implementing this type of law on a local level intrudes on the power of the federal government to regulate immigration and enforce immigration laws. Because the local ordinances attempt to enforce laws that Congress has reserved for the federal enforcement, the ACLU believes that Palm Bay's ordinances would be struck down in court. Citizens of Palm Bay are encouraged to reach out to their city council members and express their disapproval of the Ordinances.
“It is neither the place of local government, nor in the overall interest of our country for local communities to assume responsibilities of the federal government,” said Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida. “Preventing a chaotic patchwork legal system in which penalties imposed on employers vary from community to community is precisely why only the federal government should have the power to enforce immigration laws.”
The ACLU and the other involved groups hope that the Council will recognize that these Ordinances transgress their authority and that they vote accordingly on August 17th. The groups are prepared to challenge such a law in court and the City of Palm Bay and its tax payers could be responsible for monetary and legal costs associated with the litigation.
A copy of the letter to the Mayor is available on the ACLU of Florida Web site.
About the ACLU of Florida
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For additional information, visit our Web site at: www.aclufl.org.
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