Judicial Watch Files Amicus Curiae Brief in New York State Supreme Court Opposing Taxpayer-Funded Day Labor Site for Illegal Aliens

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - July 6, 2007) - Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has filed an amicus curiae brief with the New York State Supreme Court in Suffolk County in support of concerned residents of the Town of Southampton and the Village of Southampton opposed to the Village's plan to use public funds to operate a day labor site for illegal aliens. Judicial Watch contends the Village of Southampton's proposal for a taxpayer-funded day labor site violates federal and state law.

According to Judicial Watch's brief: "By creating and operating a taxpayer-funded marketplace for the employment of illegal aliens, the Village will become complicit in illegal activity. It also will encourage and induce illegal aliens to remain in the United States by making it easier for them to obtain employment and will aid and abet unlawful hiring. Such conduct violates both the letter and spirit of federal law. It should not be countenanced by the Court."

Moreover, the Village of Southampton plans to use land for the day labor site that was purchased with monies from the Community Preservation Fund (CPF), a public fund regulated by a detailed statutory scheme authorizing only a narrow range of uses for property. Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Law request with the Village to determine whether or not officials abided by state laws governing the use of the land. The Village claimed it had not a single document responsive to Judicial Watch's request.

"The Village apparently failed to undertake even the most basic analysis of whether its proposed use of the protected land at issue is consistent with the requirements of the statute," Judicial Watch argued in its brief. "Logic and commons sense would appear to indicate that the use of CPF land as a hiring site for day laborers is inconsistent with the requirements governing the use of land purchased with CPF monies."

"The Village of Southampton cannot use taxpayer funds to subsidize illegal activity," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "If the public officials from the Village want to solve the social problems caused by illegal immigration, they should help enforce the law. Providing taxpayer-funded incentive programs for illegal aliens will only make the problem worse."

Judicial Watch has launched a number of lawsuits and investigations across the country in order to challenge local government actions and public expenditures that undermine immigration laws. To find out more information about Judicial Watch's immigration programs, and to read Judicial Watch's amicus curiae brief, please visit www.judicialwatch.org.

Contact Information: Contact: Jill Farrell 202 646 5188