Arrowsmith v. Voorhies

55 F.2d 310, 1931 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1937
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedDecember 9, 1931
Docket4798
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 55 F.2d 310 (Arrowsmith v. Voorhies) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arrowsmith v. Voorhies, 55 F.2d 310, 1931 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1937 (E.D. Mich. 1931).

Opinion

O’BRIEN, District Judge.

Plaintiff, George Arrowsmith, is a subject of Great Britain and á resident of the state of Michigan. He is in the contracting business, and employs people of foreign birth, and at times has hired himself out as an employee of others in the same state. He seeks injunctive relief against the enforcement of an act passed by the Legislature of the state of Michigan during the Session of 1931, approved May 29, 1931 and entitled “A Bill defining a legal resident of this state,” etc. (Pub. Acts 1931, No. 241), on the ground that it is repugnant to the provisions of the Federal and the state Constitutions.

The following sections disclose the purpose and scope of the act:

“Section 1. For the purpose of maintaining economic, industrial and political welfare of this state, a legal resident of the state, as distinguished from a citizen, is defined as follows:

“(a) Any person who was bom in the United States of America or in a territory thereof as provided by the laws of the United States;

“ (b) Any person of foreign birth, who entered the United States of America prior to 'the adoption of measures limiting or restricting immigration, who does not come within the classification ‘Undesirable alien’ as defined by the laws of the United States;

“(c) Any person of foreign birth, who since the adoption of measures limiting or restricting immigration, entered the United-States of America through any regular office of the United States bureau of immigration, under a lawfully acquired and lawfully employed passport or such other credentials as from time to time have been required and recognized by the laws of the United States, who does not come within the classification ‘Undesirable alien’ as defined by the laws of the United States.-

“See. 2. Any person of foreign birth, who since the adoption of measures limiting or restricting immigration entered the United States of America in any manner except as described in section one hereof, is declared to have entered the United States illegally and is hereby disqualified from establishing or maintaining legal residence in this state.

“See. 3. Any person of foreign birth, who comes within the classification ‘Undesirable alien’ as defined by the laws of the United States, is hereby disqualified from establishing or maintaining legal residence in this state and from sojourning at all within the territorial limits of the state.

“Sec. 4. Any pei'son of foreign birth, who entered the United States of America illegal *311 ly or one who comes within the classification ‘Undesirable alien’ as defined by the laws of the United States, and is now within the confines of the state is hereby declared to have entered the state illegally and to be subject to deportation as in this act provided.

“Sec. 5. Any person of foreign birth, who entered the United States of America illegally or one who comes within the classification ‘Undesirable alien’ as defined by the laws of the United States and hereafter seeks to enter this state shall when detected be denied admission at its borders or if detected after entering the state, shall be subject to deportation as in this act provided.

“See. 6. Any person of foreign birth, who as in this act provided is disqualified from establishing and maintaining legal residence in this state, is prohibited from having employment or engaging in business within the state except as hereinafter in the penal section of this act provided.

“See. 7. No person, firm, corporation or association, legally resident or qualified to do business in this state, shall have in his or its employ any person of foreign birth who as in this act provided is disqualified from establishing or maintaining legal residence in the state.

“See. 8. No person, firm, corporation or association, legally resident or qualified to do business in this state, shall associate in business as a partner or otherwise in this state with any person who as in this act provided is disqualified from establishing or maintaining legal residence in the state.”

The plaintiff alleges that he was lawfully admitted to the United States, but that it is impossible for him to furnish the proof necessary under the act, and that he cannot show that he is not an “Undesirable alien” as defined by the act, and that he is unable to obtain the proof requisite in order to register thereunder. He alleges that, because of his inability to comply with the provisions of the act, he is by its terms subject to deportation, fine, and imprisonment, and contends the act under consideration is unconstitutional, in that it is in violation of, among others, section 8 of article 1 of the Federal Constitution.

The initial question involved is the right of the plaintiff to maintain this action. Upon the facts set up in the bill of complaint and supporting affidavits, we find that this ease is maintainable under the decisions of the Supreme Court in Ex Parte Young, 209 U. S. 123, 28 S. Ct. 441, 52 L. Ed. 714, 13 L. R. A. (N. S.) 932, 14 Ann. Cas. 764; and Truax v. Raich, 239 U. S. 33, 36 S. Ct. 7, 60 L. Ed. 131, L. R. A. 1916D, 545, Ann. Cas. 1917B, 283, in which the right of a private individual to initiate suits against state officials is sustained.

In the Truax Case the court said: “A suit by an alien to restrain the attorney general and county attorney from enforcing to his injury the Arizona anti-alien labor law of December 14,1914, which he asserts is repugnant to the Federal Constitution, cannot be regarded as a suit against the state.”

Coming then directly to the essence of the cause, the plaintiff contends that the act under consideration is in violation of section 8, article 1, of the Constitution of the United States, which grants to Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states.

There have been numerous attempts upon the part of states to regulate commerce and the status of aliens upon the theory that such legislation is sanctioned by the police power of the state.

The Supreme Court, in Henderson v. Mayor of New York, 92 U. S. 259, 271, 23 L. Ed. 543, said:

“This power, frequently referred to in the decisions of this court, has been, in general terms, somewhat loosely called the police power. It is not neeessary for. the course of this discussion to attempt to define it more accurately than it has been defined already. It is not necessary, because whatever may be the nature and extent of that power, where not otherwise restricted, no definition of it, and no urgency for its use, can authorize a State to exercise it in regard to a subject-matter which has been confided exclusively to the discretion of Congress by the Constitution. • • *

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Bluebook (online)
55 F.2d 310, 1931 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1937, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arrowsmith-v-voorhies-mied-1931.