Judge Rejects Prop 187 Bans on Calif. Services

By Lynn Schnaiberg

A federal judge in Los Angeles last week struck down many provisions, including those relating to schools, contained in the 1994 ballot measure California voters passed to curb illegal immigration.

The 71-page ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer represents the first time a court has weighed in on the legality of Proposition 187. It essentially rejected as unconstitutional all of the measure's provisions that involve elementary and secondary schools. To date, courts have issued preliminary injunctions to bar the measure's implementation; those orders are still in effect.

While many education and civil-rights groups hailed Judge Pfaelzer's strong ruling, they acknowledged that it was only the beginning of a long court battle that will likely wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court--just as the proposition's authors intended. (See Education Week, Nov. 16...