Trump Wins Alien Registration Case

In a case that has been heavily criticized by proponents of immigrant rights, a federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to stop the establishment of a nationwide register for noncitizens, giving the Trump administration a procedural win. An emergency request from multiple advocacy groups to halt the Alien Registration Requirement (ARR) while litigation proceeded was denied by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a decision issued in the name of the court as a whole (a “per curiam” order), rather than attributed to a particular judge. Presidents Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden appointed Judges Karen Henderson, Robert Wilkins, and Bradley Garcia, who concluded that the plaintiffs had failed to meet the “stringent” threshold for an injunction, pending appeal. The ARR will continue to be in force nationwide for months while the appeal is pending because the D.C. Circuit declined to suspend it. The ruling is a step toward the Trump administration’s goal of reintroducing stringent enforcement tactics based on antiquated immigration legislation. Following a lower court decision, the rule went into effect on April 11 and mandates that all noncitizens 14 years of age and older register their fingerprints and carry identity cards or risk fines or jail time. A parent or legal guardian must register younger children, who must re-register when they turn 14.

Fuente: Newsweek