Georgia’s Immigration Law Blocked By Fed Judge

GALEO and the AP reported today that a federal judged granted a request to issue a preliminary injunction against HB 87 to halt its implementation. To recap exactly what we’re talking about here:

• HB 87 is an Arizona-style law that targeted Latinos in that state, which opened the door for U.S. citizens who are Latino were targeted by law enforcement, too.
• As a result of the signing of the bill by Gov. Nathan Deal, immigrants fled the state.
• Untold amounts of money have been lost as the immigrants who previously picked Georgia’s crops left, leaving crops to rot in the field with no one else to do the work.
• Several groups took HB 87 to court to challenge the law.
• The repercussions of this law are huge, given that Georgia’s Latino population is set to double in the next eight years.

Here’s what the AP reported:

Judge Thomas Thrash on Monday blocked parts of the law that penalize people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants. He also blocked provisions that authorize officers to verify the immigration status of someone who can’t provide proper identification.

Thrash also dismissed parts of the lawsuit at the state’s request.

The law was set to go into effect July 1, so the ruling came just in time. I think this is a great step forward, given that Latinos are going to be an important part of the economic, educational and legislature future of Georgia. That state only has to lose by ensuring that this important population is as disempowered as possible.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD