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State Prohibitions On Employment Opportunities For Resident Aliens: Legislative Recommendations , Joy B. Peltz

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Resident aliens in the United States are afforded important privileges, such as residing in the United States indefinitely, and seeking employment here. Nevertheless, resident aliens are denied certain job opportunities in states that require United States citizenship as a prerequisite to public employment, or professional or occupational licenses. The Constitutionality of this exclusion has been challenged on equal protection grounds, most recently, by the Supreme Court in Cabell v. Chavez-Salido. In this case, the Court upheld the constitutionality of a California statute, restricting a deputy probation officer position to United States citizens. This case has been hailed as precedent for …