Case: Thomas v. Henry

CJ 2008 00046 | Oklahoma state trial court

Filed Date: Jan. 3, 2008

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Case Summary

On January 3, 2008, an Oklahoma taxpayer filed suit in the Tulsa County District Court for the State of Oklahoma, challenging the newly enacted Oklahoma state immigration law - HB 1804 ("Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007"). The Act made it a felony crime for a person who, knowingly or in reckless disregard of an alien's status, transported, harbored or concealed any undocumented immigrant. It also required state and local agencies and public employers to verify applicants' re…

On January 3, 2008, an Oklahoma taxpayer filed suit in the Tulsa County District Court for the State of Oklahoma, challenging the newly enacted Oklahoma state immigration law - HB 1804 ("Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007"). The Act made it a felony crime for a person who, knowingly or in reckless disregard of an alien's status, transported, harbored or concealed any undocumented immigrant. It also required state and local agencies and public employers to verify applicants' resident status and to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Plaintiff's suit alleged that the Act violated the Oklahoma Constitution in that it effectively created "a Bureau of Immigration and allow[ed] for the appropriation and expenditure of public funds."

This state court suit followed a challenge to the Act in federal court. The federal court case, National Coalition of Latino Clergy, Inc. v. Henry (N.D.Ok.) alleged that the Act violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The federal suit was dismissed for lack of standing, refiled, and dismissed again.

The defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss on January 23, 2008, claiming that the plaintiff lacked standing, but the court denied that motion on April 3, 2008. Plaintiff then filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, which the court granted in part, finding that certain sections of the Act were unconstitutional and could be severed from the remaining portions of the Act.

The second named defendant, the Board of County Commissioners of Tulsa County, was dismissed through stipulation of the parties on April 9, 2008. The plaintiff appealed the trial court's decision to sever certain portions of the Act, and the remaining defendant, the Governor of the State of Oklahoma, filed a cross-appeal, arguing that the plaintiff lacked standing.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court issued a per curiam opinion on June 14, 2011, affirming in part and reversing in part. The court found that the trial court correctly denied the motion to dismiss based on standing because there was sufficient involvement of public funds to warrant taxpayer standing to challenge the Act. The court reversed the trial court only insofar as eliminating one section of the Act, Section 5(C), which altered the presumption for bail in criminal cases where the defendant was a foreign national. With regard to the constitutional challenges, the state supreme court referenced another challenge to the Act in federal court, Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Edmondson. In that case, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the issuance of a preliminary injunction enjoining enforcement of two sections of the Act because the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their challenges based on the Supremacy Clause.

Following the mandate from the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the trial court closed the case on October 5, 2011. For more information on challenges to the Act, see Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Edmondson and National Coalition of Latino Clergy, Inc. v. Henry 

Summary Authors

Elizabeth Daligga (7/11/2012)

Related Cases

National Coalition of Latino Clergy, Inc. v. Henry, Northern District of Oklahoma (2007)

People


Judge(s)
Attorney for Plaintiff

Frasier, James E. (Oklahoma)

Hickman, Steven R. (Oklahoma)

Attorney for Defendant

Dunn, James Dashiell (Oklahoma)

McClure, Kevin Lynn (Oklahoma)

Rinehart, Sandra D. (Oklahoma)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

CJ 2008 00046

Docket

Oct. 5, 2011

Oct. 5, 2011

Docket

CJ 2008 00046

SD-107201

Docket (State Supreme Court)

Oklahoma state supreme court

March 29, 2012

March 29, 2012

Docket

Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007

No Court

April 16, 2007

April 16, 2007

Statute/Ordinance/Regulation

CJ 2008 00046

Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Injunction

Jan. 3, 2008

Jan. 3, 2008

Pleading / Motion / Brief

CJ 2008 00046

11-107

11-201

Opinion

Oklahoma state supreme court

June 14, 2011

June 14, 2011

Order/Opinion

260 P.3d 260

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:51 p.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Oklahoma

Case Type(s):

Immigration and/or the Border

Key Dates

Filing Date: Jan. 3, 2008

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Oklahoma taxpayer challenging Oklahoma state immigration law

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: No

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Board of County Commissioners Tulsa County (Tulsa), County

State of Oklahoma, State

Case Details

Causes of Action:

State law

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Complaint (any)

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Unknown

Nature of Relief:

Preliminary injunction / Temp. restraining order

Declaratory Judgment

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Content of Injunction:

Preliminary relief granted

Issues

General:

Government services

Racial profiling

Immigration/Border:

Criminal prosecution

Undocumented immigrants - state and local regulation