Judicial Watch Appeals Special Order 40 Lawsuit Against LAPD, ACLU
Judicial Watch has officially appealed the Los Angeles Superior Court ruling that our lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Order 40, an illegal alien sanctuary policy, cannot proceed to trial (Judicial Watch, Inc. v The Los Angeles Police Department et. al., Case No. BC349040). In addition to the LAPD, we're also fighting the ACLU and other radical pro-illegal immigration activists. To see the official Notice of Appeal, click here.
Special Order 40 is a policy established in Los Angeles in 1979 that prohibits police officers from "initiat(ing) police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person." This prevents officers from inquiring about the immigration status of an individual and from contacting federal immigration officials about an individual's immigration status. (If you want to read through related documents and court filings, please click here.)
Suffice to say it is our contention that Special Order 40 is a dangerous policy that prevents police officers from communicating freely with federal immigration authorities. It is in clear violation of federal immigration law. And we look forward to presenting our case before the appellate court.
As I mentioned last week, Judicial Watch is leading a nationwide campaign to end sanctuaries for illegal aliens. As part of this campaign, we've launched this brand new Internet site, www.SanctuaryBusters.org. This is a big fight and we need your help.
- Tom Fitton