League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson

908 F. Supp. 755, 95 Daily Journal DAR 15504, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17720, 1995 WL 699583
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedNovember 20, 1995
DocketCV 94-7569 MRP to CV 94-7571 MRP, CV 94-7652 MRP and CV 94-0187 MRP
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 908 F. Supp. 755 (League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson, 908 F. Supp. 755, 95 Daily Journal DAR 15504, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17720, 1995 WL 699583 (C.D. Cal. 1995).

Opinion

*763 OPINION

PFAELZER, District Judge.

Proposition 187 is an initiative measure which was submitted to the voters of the State of California in the November 8, 1994 general election. It was passed by a vote of 59% to 41% and became effective the following day. The stated purpose of Proposition 187 is to “provide for cooperation between [the] agencies of state and local government with the federal government, and to establish a system of required notification by and between such agencies to prevent illegal aliens in the United States from receiving benefits or public services in the State of California.” Prop. 187, § 1. The initiative’s provisions require law enforcement, social services, health care and public education personnel to (i) verify the immigration status of persons with whom they come in contact; (ii) notify certain defined persons of their immigration status; (in) report those persons to state and federal officials; and (iv) deny those persons social services, health care, and education.

After the initiative was passed, several actions challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 187 were commenced in state and federal courts in California. Ultimately, five actions filed in the United States District Court were consolidated in this Court for purposes of motions, hearings, petitions and trial (collectively, the “consolidated actions”). 1 , 2

The plaintiffs in the consolidated actions have brought suit for declaratory and injunc-tive relief seeking to bar California Governor Pete Wilson (“Wilson”), Attorney General Dan Lungren (“Lungren”), and other state actors 3 (collectively, defendants) from en *764 forcing the provisions of Proposition 187. 4

On November 16, 1994, the Court entered a temporary restraining order enjoining the implementation of sections 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 of the initiative. On December 14, 1995, the Court granted plaintiffs’ motions for preliminary injunction, enjoining the implementation and enforcement of those sections.

On May 1, 1995, the League of United Latin American Citizens (“LULAC”) and Gregorio T. plaintiffs brought motions for summary judgment in which they contend that Proposition 187 is unconstitutional on the sole ground that the initiative is preempted by the federal government’s exclusive constitutional authority over the regulation of immigration, Congress’ exercise of that powr er through the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), and other federal statutes. 5 6 Defendants 7 oppose the LULAC and Gregorio T. motions on the grounds that Proposition 187 is not preempted and, alternatively, that if any portion of the initiative is preempted, the remaining portions are valid and must be upheld.

The Court grants in part and denies in part the motions for summary judgment in accordance with the conclusions reached below. Because the Court’s ruling with respect to these motions does not dispose of this case in its entirety, the preliminary injunction shall remain in effect until further order of the Court.

I. Purpose and Effect of Proposition 187

Proposition 187 consists of ten sections: a preamble (section 1), a section pertaining to the amendment and severability of the initiative (section 10) and eight substantive sections (sections 2-9). 8 Within the eight substantive sections of the initiative, there are the following five types of provisions:

(1) provisions which require state officials to verify or determine the immigration status of arrestees, applicants for social services and health care, and public school students and their parents, by either classifying persons based on state-created categories of immigration status (the “classification” provisions) or verifying immigration status by ref- *765 erenee to federal immigration laws (the “remaining verification” provisions) (Prop. 187 §§ 4(b), 5(b), (c); 6(b), (c); 7(a)-(e); 8(a)-(c)) 9 ;
(2) provisions which require state officials to notify individuals that they are apparently present in the United States unlawfully and that they must “either obtain legal status or leave the United States” (the “notification” provisions) (Prop. 187 §§ 4(b)(2); 5(c)(2); 6(c)(2));
(3) provisions which require state agencies to report immigration status information to state and federal authorities, and to cooperate with the INS regarding persons whose immigration status is suspect (contained in Sections 4-9) (the “cooperation/reporting” provisions) (Prop.. 187 §§ 4(b)(3); 5(c)(3); 6(e)(3); 7(e); 8(c); 9);
(4) provisions which require facilities to deny social services, health care services and public education to individuals based on immigration status (the “benefit denial” provisions) (Prop. 187 §§ 5(b), (e)(1); 6(b), (c)(1); 7(a)-(c); 8(a)-(b)); and
(5) criminal penalties for falsifying immigration documents (Prop. 187 §§ 2, 3).

The full text of the initiative is set forth in Appendix A.

The initiative has a dual purpose and effect. The classification, notification and cooperation/reporting provisions taken together constitute a regulatory scheme designed to deter illegal aliens from entering or remaining in the United States by (1) detecting those persons present in the United States in violation of either state-created criteria for lawful immigration status or federal immigration laws; (2) notifying those persons of their purported unlawful status and ordering them to obtain legal status or leave the country; and (3) maintaining a system of reporting and cooperation between state and federal agencies to effect the removal of those persons. These provisions cannot be read except as a regulatory scheme; and indeed, defendants have not seriously urged any other reading. While the benefits denial provisions also have the purpose of deterring illegal aliens from entering or remaining in the United States, and arguably may be viewed as part of the same regulatory scheme, they have the additional purpose of forbidding the use of public funds to provide social services, health care and education to persons deemed to be present in the United States illegally.

II. Severability of the Initiative

In determining the validity of Proposition 187, the Court is mindful of its obligation to uphold the initiative to the fullest extent possible. California law holds that “all presumptions favor the validity of initiative measures and mere doubts as to validity are insufficient.” Legislature v. Eu, 54 Cal.3d 492, 501, 286 Cal.Rptr. 283, 287, 816 P.2d 1309, 1313 (1991).

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908 F. Supp. 755, 95 Daily Journal DAR 15504, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17720, 1995 WL 699583, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/league-of-united-latin-american-citizens-v-wilson-cacd-1995.