BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – A Louisiana legislator behind a policy to prevent illegal immigrants from taking advantage of marriage laws to gain legal residence is coming under fire after a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the act was filed.
State Rep. Valerie Hodges (R-LA) pushed the reform to keep illegal immigrants from using marriage in the state to receive legal status, a plan that was widely backed by Republicans and anti-illegal immigration Attorney General Jeff Landry.
It is illegal for any Louisiana resident to get married in the state without the proof of lawful presence. Though the law will keep illegal immigrants from wrongfully using marriage as a way to become legal residents, it does not distinguish from refugees in the process.
A refugee without documentation of birth but is a lawful resident cannot get married in the state at present.
Hodges told the Associated Press that she never wanted the law to keep legal residents from getting married in the state, calling it “basically a technical oversight.”
Now, a refugee is suing, saying the law is unconstitutional because it prevents legal immigrants from getting married.
Hodges, though, says she is looking to pass an amendment to clarify future enforcement.
Weeks ago, The Washington Post falsely claimed the state “isn’t letting immigrants get married,” as Breibart Texas reported at the time.
Breitbart Texas has reported separately on a related matter involving the interruption of an Indian marriage scam occurring in neighboring Mississippi, netting 19 conspirators.
John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.