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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Graham v. Richardson
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A quick definition of Graham v. Richardson:
In Graham v. Richardson, the Supreme Court said that states cannot deny welfare benefits to legal immigrants just because they are not U.S. citizens. This is because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the federal government's power over immigration. The Court also said that discrimination against legal immigrants is subject to higher scrutiny, meaning that it is more closely examined to make sure it is fair. The Court found that the states did not have a good enough reason to deny benefits to legal immigrants and that federal law takes precedence over state law in immigration matters. This case is important because it sets a precedent for how legal immigrants are treated in the United States.A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Graham v. Richardson is a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that state attempts to deny welfare benefits to legally resident aliens violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the exclusive powers of the federal government in immigration matters. The case involved Arizona and Pennsylvania, which sought to require either U.S. citizenship or residence in the country for a certain number of years, violating equal protection of the laws and the exclusive power of Congress. The Supreme Court held that legal aliens are a suspect class to whom discrimination is subject to heightened judicial scrutiny.
Example: Arizona passed a law restricting social welfare benefits to U.S. citizens or residents of the country for at least 15 years, while Pennsylvania granted social welfare benefits to U.S. citizens but denied them to aliens regardless of duration of residency. These laws were found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Graham v. Richardson.
Explanation: The examples illustrate how the states of Arizona and Pennsylvania attempted to discriminate against legal aliens by denying them social welfare benefits. The Supreme Court held that such discrimination violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the exclusive powers of the federal government in immigration matters. The Court also held that legal aliens are a suspect class to whom discrimination is subject to heightened judicial scrutiny.