California Proposition 187, Prohibit Persons in Violation of Immigration Law from Using Public Healthcare, Schools, and Social Services Initiative (1994)
| California Proposition 187 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Immigration policy |
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| Status |
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| Type Initiated state statute |
Origin |
California Proposition 187 was on the ballot as an initiated state statute in California on November 8, 1994. The measure was approved, but was struck down by a federal court, preventing the measure from going into effect.
A "yes" vote supported prohibiting persons in violation of immigration law in California from using public healthcare services except in cases of emergency, social services, and public schools; requires certain state and local agencies to report suspected residents in violation of immigration law to the state attorney general and United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. |
A "no" vote opposed persons in violation of immigration law in California from using public healthcare services except in cases of emergency, social services, and public schools; requires certain state and local agencies to report suspected residents in violation of immigration law to the state attorney general and United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. |
Overview
Proposition 187 was designed to prohibit immigrants residing in the country without legal permission in California from using public healthcare services except in cases of emergency, social services, and public schools. Under the measure, no person could have received social services unless they had been verified as a United States citizen or were legally allowed entry as a permanent or temporary resident. The measure would have also required certain state and local agencies to report suspected residents in violation of immigration law to the California Attorney General and the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The day after Proposition 187 was approved, several groups filed federal lawsuits against it, including the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the ACLU. On November 11, 1994, federal district court judge Matthew Byrne issued a temporary injunction against the state of California, forbidding the enforcement of Proposition 187. Federal judge Marianna Pfaelzer then issued a permanent injunction, pending a trial. The state of California asked in 1997 that the case be dismissed and the injunction dropped, on the grounds that federal immigration law had changed in the meantime. The federal court denied the request that the case be dismissed. The state of California did not appeal that decision, leaving the permanent injunction standing. The case did not proceed to trial.[1]
Election results
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California Proposition 187 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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5,063,537 | 58.93% | ||
| No | 3,529,432 | 41.07% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition 187 was as follows:
| “ | Illegal aliens. Ineligibility for public services. Verification and reporting. Initiative statute. | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
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• Makes illegal aliens ineligible for public social services, public health care services (unless emergency under federal law), and public school education at elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. • Requires various state and local agencies to report persons who are suspected illegal aliens to the California Attorney General and the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. • Mandates California Attorney General to transmit reports to Immigration and Naturalization Service and maintain records of such reports. • Makes it a felony to manufacture, distribute, sell or use false citizenship or residence documents. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5 percent of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election. To get an initiated state statute on the ballot in 1994, proponents needed to submit 384,974 valid signatures.
See also
External links
Footnotes
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State of California Sacramento (capital) |
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