Zambrano
Definition
A '90s class action case in which plaintiffs, undocumented aliens, challenged I.N.S. regulations for allegedly, unduly restricting the eligibility of undocumented aliens who might become public charges for legalization under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. In 1993, Zambrano reached the U.S. Supreme Court which remanded the case. I.N.S. v. Zambrano, 509 U.S. 918 (1993). Ultimately, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed plaintiffs' claims for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.
Illustrative caselaw
See, e.g. Zambrano v. I.N.S., 282 F.3d 1145 (9th Cir. 2002) (detailing Zambrano's lengthy procedural history).
See also
Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary
The short name for a 1993 class-action case called Zambrano v. INS. Plaintiffs were undocumented people who had applied or tried to apply for amnesty (legalization) under the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) but were denied or turned away as inadmissible based on the likelihood that they would become public charges (receive government need-based benefits). The plaintiffs challenged the government regulations all the way to the Supreme Court. After a number of twists and turns, the whole tangle was ultimately straightened out in the immigrants' favor through passage of the LIFE Act.
Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.
August 19, 2010, 5:27 pm
