News and updates about immigration law.
Firm Prevails: Montana Supreme Court strikes down entirety of anti-immigrant law!
Thanks to the efforts of the Border Crossing Law Firm, the Montana Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision striking down the entirety of an anti-immigrant law, which was placed on the 2012 ballot by the Montana legislature and approved by 80% of voters.
Victory: Firm Prevails in Challenge to Montana Anti-Immigrant Law!
The Border Crossing Law Firm won a victory for immigrants in Montana by striking down the vast majority of Montana's voter-approved law requiring state agencies to determine an applicant’s citizenship or immigration status before granting a wide variety of state services.
Thank You, Linda Gryczan: How Gay Rights Pioneers Helped Immigrants in Montana
Immigrants who are challenging LR-121, the State of Montana’s new anti-immigrant law, owe a debt of gratitude to the pioneering gay rights advocates who established an important legal precedent that gives marginalized groups legal standing to challenge laws that threaten to deprive them of their rights.
Victory Against Montana Attorney General, Lawsuit Against Anti-Immigrant Law Continues
This week, Judge Sherlock rejected the Montana Attorney General's efforts to dismiss our lawsuit, and has ruled that the Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance (MIJA) has standing to challenge LR-121 on behalf of its members, who have a reasonable fear that the law will be used to wrongly deny them benefits.
LR-121 Lawsuit: First Hearing is Scheduled!
On December 7, 2012 the Border Crossing Law Firm filed a lawsuit in Montana’s First Judicial District Court to challenge and enjoin implementation of LR-121, an anti-immigrant law passed by voters in Montana. The first hearing is now scheduled.
Lawsuit Against LR-121
The Border Crossing Law Firm, P.C. is proud to be representing the Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance ("MIJA") in its legal challenge of LR-121. We are challenging the constitutionality of LR-121 because it violates the rights of lawful Montana residents, not just undocumented aliens.
Video: Forum at Carroll College on LR-121, Montana's Anti-Immigrant Law
On October 29, 2012, Professor Alan Hansen of Carroll College hosted a forum to discuss LR-121, the "proof of citizenship" referendum. The speakers were Shahid Haque (founder of the Border Crossing Law Firm, P.C. and President of the Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance "MIJA"), Moe Wosepka (Executive Director of the Montana Catholic Conference), and Professor Jeremy Johnson.
Governor Brian Schweitzer's Thoughts on Immigration
Governor Brian Schweitzer is well known for speaking his mind, and as he approaches the end of his term in office, he remains one of the most popular governors in the country. What many Montanans may not know is that Governor Schweitzer also has a very unique and refreshing perspective on the issue of immigration.
Interview on PoliticktickBOOM, a local Podcast.
Shahid Haque, founder of the Border Crossing Law Firm, P.C., had fun talking to Kev Hamm for this week's episode of his podcast, PoliticktickBOOM! We discussed LR-121, the state of Montana's anti-immigrant referendum, the anti-immigrant laws proposed in the Montana legislature, the suspension of the top Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in the state, and much more.
LR-121: A Resource on Montana's 2012 Anti-Immigrant Referendum
LR-121 is a referendum that aims to deny a wide variety of state services to Montana residents who cannot prove that they are U.S. Citizens or documented immigrants. This post is designed to serve as a resource on the referendum, and why it will be so costly and damaging to the state.
A Concern About Pam Bucy's Record on Immigration Issues
In this article, I recount a professional interaction with Pam Bucy that may shed light on her interpretation of the Montana Constitution, the privacy protections provided under state law, and the role of the state in sharing information with the federal government.
Jesse Laslovich's Voting Record on Immigration Bills in the Montana Legislature
Jesse Laslovich is running for Montana Attorney General, and faces a Democratic primary this June. Jesse Laslovich has served in the Montana legislature since 2000 -- first in the Montana State House of Representatives (from 2000-2004) and then in the Montana Senate (from 2004-2010). The purpose of this post is to analyze his voting record on immigration bills that have come before him.
Jon Tester Supports Amnesty and Path to Legalization...for Machine-Guns.
Jon Tester has finally come out in support of amnesty and a path to legalization. The only problem is that he isn't referring to comprehensive immigration reform -- he is using this language to argue that military veterans should be able to keep machine-guns and other fully automatic "trophy" firearms acquired on the battlefield.
Interview in Huffington Post on Jon Tester's Anti-Immigrant Positions
Shahid Haque Interviewed in Huffington Post on Jon Tester's Anti-Immigrant Positions
Refuting Jon Tester’s Anti-Immigrant Positions
Jon Tester (D-MT) is facing a tough run for re-election to the U.S. Senate, but he just keeps giving progressives more reasons not to vote for him. His track record on immigration issues has been abysmal, as I've written about before. Make no mistake about it -- Tester is probably the worst Democrat in the Senate on the issue of immigration, and he is one of the most vocal. The way he talks about the issue, you would think Montana wasn't one of the states with the least number of immigrants in the whole country.
Why the term "anchor babies" is offensive and inaccurate.
The term "anchor babies" is one of the most offensive and pejorative terms being thrown around when talking about immigrants. It is based on the false belief that when an immigrant has a baby in the United States, that prevents the child's parents from being removed and gives them some form of immigration status. That is not true. In actuality, a child can only confer immigration status to his or her parent when the child reaches age 21. Every years, tens of thousands of parents of U.S. citizen are deported -- amounting to over 100,000 deportations over the last ten years.
HB 392 Would Violate the 14th Amendment By Purporting to Strip Montana Citizenship from Children of Immigrants and Dual Citizens
Rep. James Knox, a Republican, has introduced a bill hat purports to "reinterpret" the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and strip citizenship from certain children of immigrants and dual citizens. The hearing on this unconstitutional and bigoted bill was heated. Only one person spoke in support of the bill, with a dozen opponents -- including me -- speaking against it.
HB 302 Would Make Roads Less Safe By Requiring Driver's License Tests in English Only
The anti-immigrant bills continue to be introduced in the Montana Legislature. Rep. Janna Taylor (a Republican) introduced a mean-spirited and pointless bill that would restrict driver's license tests to English only. This bill won’t save any money, time or resources. This bill succeeds in only one thing — marginalizing non-English speakers.
Testimony in Opposition to HB 274, the "Report Your Neighbors" Bill
I previously posted a video of the proponent testimony in favor of HB 274, a bill that would encourage Montanans to report their neighbors to the authorities on suspicion that they are not authorized for employment. In their testimony, the proponents clearly demonstrated the risk that racial profiling and xenophobia would result in baseless complaints. I have now compiled a video of our opposition testimony.