MHBA Denounces the Introduction of Bill HF3830 to the Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association (MHBA) denounces the introduction of Bill HF3830 to the Minnesota legislature. Bill HF3830 (introduced earlier this month) is similar to the already infamous Arizona law SB1070 in that it requires public officials to ask for proof of immigration status based on “reasonable suspicion” that a person is undocumented. MHBA President, Mara Garcia Kaplan stated, “Such a law is likely to be unconstitutional as it cannot be implemented without resorting to racial profiling.” The human rights violations that can result from a requirement that officers act upon a perceived ethnicity or an accent are cause for great concern and should not be tolerated in Minnesota. Moreover, the U.S. Constitution reserves immigration law for the federal government. The attempt by states to pass laws to try to “fix” our immigration system violates the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.
The MHBA joins other organizations in the opposition of any such laws that fosters discrimination and injustice, and it renews its commitment to stand only for those laws that promote equal justice and due process. The nation’s immigration issues must be addressed at the federal level. These actions by certain states targeting ethnic groups should serve as a call to our congressional leaders that this is the time for immigration reform.
MHBA is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan membership organization that represents the interests of the Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, and law students in Minnesota. For more information about the MHBA, please visit www.minnhba.org.