U.S. Department of Justice asks court to block Alabama immigration law pending appeal
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a motion seeking to stop Alabama’s immigration law from going forward, pending the outcome of an appeal.
The motion filed Friday afternoon asks U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn to stay her order from Wednesday denying requests to block the far-reaching law and leaving most sections of it intact.
The filing argues that the federal government has exclusive authority in the area of immigration.
“The Department of Justice has appealed Judge Blackburn’s ruling in the Alabama immigration case to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals,” said U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance. “The U.S. will ask the 11th Circuit to enjoin all portions of the state immigration law that the federal government has challenged. The Department of Justice has asked Judge Blackburn to stay her ruling until the Circuit Court rules on the appeal. Unless she does so, the law will remain in effect during the appeal.”