Law Commons^™

The Second Amendment's "People" Problem, Pratheepan Gulasekaram -- Professor Of Law

Vanderbilt Law Review

The Second Amendment has a "people" problem. In 2008, District of Columbia v. Heller expanded the scope of the Second Amendment, grounding it in an individualized right of self-protection. At the same time, Heller's rhetoric limited "the people" of the Second Amendment to "law-abiding citizens." In 2022, New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen doubled down on the Amendment's self-defense rationales but, once again, framed the right as one possessed by "citizens." In between and after the two Supreme Court cases, several lower federal courts, including eight federal courts of appeals, wrestled with the question whether the right …

A Regulatory Policy Strategy For Protecting Immigrant Workers, W. Kip Viscusi, N. Marquiss

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Immigration has become a focal point of many political campaigns, most notably that of President Trump in 2016 and again in 2020. Populist rhetoric also decries immigrant workers for taking Americans' jobs and depressing wages for U.S.-born workers. Yet immigrants serve a constructive role by working in some of the most dangerous occupations in the country. It is well-known that immigrant workers, particularly those from Mexico with limited English language skills, face a higher workplace fatality rate than native workers. Efforts to reverse this trend have long been the focus of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which undertook …

Transit States To Destination Nations: Mexican And Moroccan Asylum Policies, Stephanie Evans

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Much of the literature surrounding immigration and asylum analyzes the policies adopted by highly developed nations like the United States and countries in the European Union. However, as these nations' policies become increasingly restrictive, more migrants are turning towards neighboring nations that are easier to access but that have less developed immigration and asylum systems. Mexico and Morocco are two such nations. Historically, each has been a transit state--a nation that migrants traveled through in order to reach other states. However, both Mexico and Morocco are becoming destination nations. Social science scholarship has analyzed and compared changes in Mexico's and …

Immigration Enforcement And The Fugitive Slave Acts: Exploring Their Similarities, Karla M. Mckanders

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Two seemingly different federal enforcement systems that affect the movement of unskilled workers — the 1793 and 1850 Fugitive Slave Acts and current state immigration enforcement policies — have remarkable similarities. Both systems are political stories that are demonstrative of the failure of federalism. The federal government’s current failure to enforce immigration laws has encouraged state and local governments to pass their own laws. Alabama and Arizona have enacted far-reaching laws, which are similar to the federal Immigration and Nationality Act § 287(g) programs. Both have been challenged on constitutional preemption and equal protection grounds. Recent scholarship has focused mainly …

Sustaining Tiered Personhood: Jim Crow And Anti-Immigrant Laws, Karla M. Mckanders

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Latino immigrants are moving to areas of the country that have not seen a major influx of immigrants. As a result of this influx, citizens of these formerly homogenous communities have become increasingly critical of federal immigration law. State and local legislatures are responding by passing their own laws targeting immigrants. While many legislators and city council members state that the purpose of the anti-immigrant laws is to restrict illegal immigration where the federal government has failed to do so, opponents claim that the laws are passed to enable discrimination and exclusion of all Latinos, regardless of their immigration status. …

The Constitutional Dimension Of Immigration Federalism, Clare Huntington

Vanderbilt Law Review

In Farmers Branch, Texas, the city council enacted a measure to fine landlords who rent their premises to unauthorized migrants,' and in Arizona, the state legislature passed a law imposing stiff penalties on employers who intentionally or knowingly hire unauthorized migrants. In San Francisco, the board of supervisors passed a measure that bars law enforcement officers from inquiring into the immigration status of an individual in the course of a criminal investigation. In Alabama and Florida, state officials have entered into agreements with the federal government permitting state law enforcement officers to arrest and detain non-citizens on immigration charges. Other …

Special Project: Current Issues In Immigration, Anna Byrne

Vanderbilt Law Review

These words, so famously engraved upon a plaque inside the Statue of Liberty, have become an anachronism in modern American politics. In recent years our society has witnessed a maelstrom arise concerning immigration law and enforcement, with vocal factions spouting angry vitriol about the need to tighten borders and crack down on illegal immigration. Intense debate was sparked 2006 after the House of Representatives passed a restrictive bill that called for a wall to be built along 700 miles of the U.S.-Mexican border, criminalized the aiding or encouraging of illegal immigrants to remain in the country, and imposed new penalties …

Barring Too Much: An Argument In Favor Of Interpreting The Immigration And Nationality Act Section 101(A)(42) To Include A Duress Exception, Nicole Lerescu

Vanderbilt Law Review

The asylum system is in disarray. The United States is unable to guarantee that every asylum seeker will receive a fair and impartial hearing. Although media attention recently has focused on the asylum system's procedural flaws, unjust statutory interpretations also work against those seeking refuge in the United States. This Note focuses on one particular example within this commonly criticized area of the law: the prevailing interpretation of section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to bar those who have persecuted others under duress from attaining refugee status.

It is intuitively appealing that a system of laws should hold …

Welcome To Hazelton - Illegal Immigrants Beware, Karla M. Mckanders

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

On July 13, 2006, the city of Hazleton made national news as the first municipality in the country to pass ordinances against illegal immigrants. The majority of municipal legislation that passed regulated the employment of undocumented workers. The ordinances resulted from municipal perceptions that the federal government has failed to enact and enforce comprehensive immigration legislation. Thereafter, several states and municipalities across the country passed ordinances against illegal immigration. Since then, the federal courts have been inundated with lawsuits challenging the validity of municipal ordinances.

This article delves into the profound impact that municipal ordinances that sanction businesses for employing …

The Strategic Use Of Mexico To Restrict South American Access To The Diversity Visa Lottery, Jonathan H. Wardle

Vanderbilt Law Review

In 1990, Congress enacted the Family Unity and Employment Opportunity Act (the "1990 Act"), which created a visa lottery to enhance the diversity of the immigrant stream and to ensure that areas of the world sending relatively few immigrants to the United States could still have access to the immigrant stream. In order to achieve these goals, Congress created a complex formula by which 55,000 "diversity" visas would be distributed annually among six geographically defined regions based on the total number of immigrant admissions from each region. Under this formula, regions with relatively low admission rates are granted more visas …

Slings And Arrows Of Outrageous Fortune: The Deportation Of "Aggravated Felons", Valerie Neal

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Any foreign national who is convicted of an "aggravated felony," as that term is defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, is subject to deportation from the United States. Deportation of so-called "aggravated felons" is in no way contingent upon the particular facts and circumstances in a given case. More troublingly, on the judiciary has no authority to review a deportation order based "aggravated felony" grounds. In the past decade, Congress has expanded the definition of "aggravated felony" to encompass many minor crimes that are neither aggravated nor felonious.

The deportation of foreign nationals on "aggravated felony" grounds is effectively …

A Case Of Unconstitutional Immigration: The Importation Of England's National Curriculum To The United States, Jaime S. Boutwell

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The decline in the quality of the American educational system continues to spawn debate and criticism across the nation. Despite many suggestions and arguments on how to improve American schools, such as voucher systems, smaller class size, and higher teacher qualifications, the concern, while deeply felt, appears to be empty rhetoric. Teachers' low salaries, the disparity in funding among schools, and the lack of parent and community involvement demonstrate America's apathy towards education reform. To effectuate meaningful changes in education, American communities must reach consensus on education's purpose and importance.

The failure of schools requires America to take action. State …

Non-Immigration Visa Fraud: Proposals To End The Misuse Of The L Visa By Transnational Criminal Organizations As A Method Of Illegal Immigration, Amy Mccallen

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Note examines why the L visa is particularly vulnerable to multinational fraud and proposes both a domestic and an international solution to combat this abuse. Part II of this Note addresses the governmental policies behind the L visa. This section provides an overview of the origins of the transnational company and discusses the reasons why Congress created the L visa to meet the needs of this specialized segment of international business.

Part III analyzes the bifurcated approval process for an L visa. This section surveys the requirements for the L visa and discusses why Congress believed these requirements were …

Proposals To Address Germany's Status As A "Land Of Immigration", Anne M. Seibel

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

International law permits each individual State to determine who under its laws are citizens of the nation. Germany's decision at the beginning of this century to adhere to the jus sanguinis model of citizenship continues to shape the country's immigration and citizenship laws. This model predicates citizenship on one's parents rather than one's place of birth. Accordingly, "ethnic Germans" who have returned to Germany since the end of the Cold War era are considered to possess a right to German citizenship. In contrast, naturalization procedures are rigorous for foreign residents, including guestworkers and asylum seekers, many of whom are long-time …

Case Digest, Journal Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Case Digest provides brief analyses of cases that represent current aspects of international law. The Digest includes cases that establish legal principles and cases that apply established legal principles to new factual situations. The cases are grouped by topic and include references for further research.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. AID TO FOREIGN TRIBUNALS

II. TRADE

III.TREATIES

IV. IMMIGRATION

Aliens' Right To Seek Asylum: The Attorney General's Power To Exclude "Security Threats" And The Role Of The Courts, Mary S. Miller

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is the only circuit court to analyze the relationship between section 235(c) and section 243(h), as amended by the Refugee Act. In "Azzouka v. Sava," the court resolved the apparent conflict between the two acts by holding that if the Attorney General determines that an alien is a security threat, that alien may be excluded without a hearing before an immigration judge despite the fact that the alien has requested political asylum."

This Note examines the interrelationship between sections 235(c) and 243(h) by analyzing the legislative, judicial, and administrative interpretations …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Secretary of Transportation's Order Issued Pursuant to Anti-Apartheid Act, which immediately revoked South-African airways right to serve United States Airports, Upheld Notwithstanding possible violation of prior Executive Agreement--South African Airways v. Dole, 817 F.2d 119 (D.C.Cir. 1987).

IN TRANSNATIONAL LITIGATION, HAGUE EVIDENCE CONVENTION IS NOT MANDATORY, EXCLUSIVE, OR PROCEDURE OF FIRST RESORT, BUT UNITED STATES COURT MAY RESORT TO CONVENTION'S DISCOVERY PROCEDURES To SUPPLEMENT FEDERAL DISCOVERY RULES WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT --Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale v. United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 107 S. Ct. 2542 (1987).

Two YEAR PROCESSING DELAY OF APPLICATION FOR ADJUSTMENT OF IMMIGRATION …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Point of Final Loading and Routing is Place of Shipment for Purposes of Valuing Lost Cargo; Private Carrier's Both-to-Blame Clause is Enforceable---Allseas Maritime, S.A. v. M/V Mimosa, 574 F. Supp. 844 (S.D. Tex. 1983).

LAND-BASED NEGLIGENCE CAUSING AN AIRPLANE CRASH IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS FALLS WITHIN ADMIRALTY JURISDICTION--Miller v. United States, 18 Av. CAS. (CCH) 17,912 (11th Cir. 1984).

FREIGHT FORWARDER WHO BREACHES A FIDUCIARY DUTY TO HIS SHIPPER VIOLATES THE WIRE FRAUD STATUTE--United States v. Armand Ventura, 724 F.2d 305 (2d Cir. 1983).

IN PERSONAM JURISDICTION OBTAINED BY ATTACHMENT OF PROPERTY IS DIFFERENT FROM IN REM JURISDICTION--Belcher Co. v. MIV …

A Comparison Between The Constitutional Protections Against The Imposition Of Involuntary Expatriation And A Taxpayer's Right To Disclaim Citizenship, Terri R. Reicher

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Note examines both sides of the coin: the constitutional protections given the individual fighting to retain his citizenship will be compared with the burdens, particularly the tax consequences, imposed on individuals wanting to relinquish citizenship. Section II examines the classic constitutionally-based expatriation material. It discusses the legislative history of expatriation law, including the 1978 amendments to the INA, reviews the major expatriation case law, and concludes with an analysis of Vance v. Terrazas, the most recent Supreme Court pronouncement on the nature of the "voluntary" conduct required to constitute expatriation. Section III deals with the tax aspects of expatriation. …

Recent Developments, Gali Hagel, John R. Heldman

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Aliens' Rights--The Refugee Act of 1980 as Response to the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees: The First Test

Gali Hagel

The Refugee Act of 1980, reflecting United States commitments under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol, went into effect during a wave of immigration that created a state of emergency in strongly affected southern Florida. Under a severe test of its commitment to the terms of the 1967 Protocol and its implicit sense of moral obligation to grant asylum to individuals fleeing dictatorial rule, the United States responded positively in accepting the Cubans. Although …

Case Digest, Journal Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

COURT SITTING IN ADMIRALTY MAY GRANT INJUNCTIVE RELIEF TO PREVENT MARITIME INSURER FROM "BLACKLISTING" SEAMEN WITHOUT CAUSE

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EXPENSES OF JUSTICE INCLUDE ONLY THOSE STORAGE EXPENSES INCURRED AFTER THE FILING OF A FORFEITURE ACTION BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

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IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE MAY APPEAL AN IMMIGRATION JUDGE'S DECISION TO GRANT AN ALIEN RELIEF FROM DEPORTATION UNDER SECTION 212(c) OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT

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FOURTH AMENDMENT NO BAR TO WARRANTLESS SEARCH OF FOREIGN FISHING VESSEL AUTHORIZED BY FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1976

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SCOPE OF LACEY ACT IS LIMITED TO FOREIGN LAWS DESIGNED TO PROTECT …

Recent Decisions, Kate Eyler, Margaret H. Young, B. Rowland Heyward, Gary I. Christian

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Recent Decisions Immigration--Entry Resident Alien Who Makes Brief Visit Outside the Country is Deportable if He Reenters United States at an Unauthorized Location while Aiding Illegal Aliens to Enter

Kate Eyler

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International Banking--Bankruptcy--When Foreign Law Prohibits a Foreign Banking Corporation from Supplying Required Creditors List, Chapter XI Petition Should Not be Dismissed as Inherently Defective

Margaret Helen Young

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The instant case represents a change in long-standing ICC policy at once consistent with its statutory groundwork, yet with potentially drastic economic impact. In the final analysis, the issues were whether the subsequent legislation represented a congressional expression of its …

Recent Decisions, Anne Markey, James F. Maddox, Thomas C. Eklund, Thomas F. Taylor, Ralph Vinciguerra, Clark Mervis

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Admiralty--Damages in a Maritime Collision or Stranding Caused by Mutual Fault Must be Apportioned According to the Comparative Negligence of the Parties

Anne Markey

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Admiralty--Wrongful Death--General Maritime Law Provides Remedy for Pain and Suffering of Decedent Incurred in Wrongful Death on High Seas but not for Funeral Expenses

James F. Maddox

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Arbitration--Securities Regulation--In International Sale of Securities, Arbitration Agreement is Binding not Withstanding Non-Waiverability of Judicial Remedy of Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Thomas C. Eklund

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IMMIGRATION--ALIEN COMMUTERS, BOTH DAILY AND SEASONAL, WHO HAVE ONCE OBTAINED THE STATUS OF IMMIGRANTS ARE PROPERLY CLASSIFIED AS SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS LAWFULLY …

Case Digest, Journal Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Case Digest

1. ACT OF STATE ACT OF STATE DOCTRINE APPLIES TO INFORMAL ACTIONS OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS IF THE GOVERNMENTAL AGENT ACTS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF HIS AUTHORITY

2. ADMIRALTY SIGNIFICANT--RELATIONSHIP-TO-MARITIME-ACTIVITY TEST USED TO DETERMINE ADMIRALTY TORT JURISDICTION

3. ALIEN'S RIGHTS REGULATIONS EXCLUDING RESIDENT ALIENS FROM EMPLOYMENT IN FEDERAL COMPETITIVE CIVIL SERVICE VIOLATE DUE PROCESS CLAUSE OF FIFTH AMENDMENT

4. AVIATION MENTAL DISTRESS ATTACHES TO AN AIR CARRIER'S STRICT LIABILITY FOR BODILY INJURY UNDER THE WARSAW CONVENTION

5. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION CONGRESS MAY GRANT CITIZENSHIP TO FOREIGN-BORN CHILDREN OF CITIZEN FATHERS, WHILE DENYING SAME TO OFFSPRING OF CITIZEN MOTHERS

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Recent Decisions, Dennis L. Bryant, Kurt H. Decker, Paul S. Parker, Charles M. Jackson, Daniel A. Green, Douglass H. Mori

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

ADMIRALTY--NON-LIEN MARITIME CLAIM--SALVOR WAIVED SALVAGE LIEN BY SEIZING VESSEL PRIOR TO EXPIRATION OF AGREED PAYMENT PERIOD BUT SALVAGE CLAIM COULD BE SATISFIED FROM REMNANTS AND SURPLUS

Dennis L. Bryant Lt., US. Coast Guard

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COMPTROLLER GENERAL--ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION BINDING ON COMPTROLLER GENERAL IN EXIMBANK CREDIT EXTENSIONS TO COMMUNIST COUNTRIES

Kurt H. Decker

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FOREIGN RELATIONS LAW--ACQUISITION OF CONTROL OF DOMESTIC MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION BY A WHOLLY OWNED FOREIGN GOVERNMENTAL CORPORATION DOES NOT PER SE CREATE AN UNREASONABLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST BETWEEN THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ACQUIRER AND ITS DUTIES TO THE DOMESTIC CORPORATION AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS; NOR IS THE ACQUISITION CONTRARY …