1. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1965: This landmark legislation abolished the national-origin quota system that had favored certain European countries and placed greater emphasis on family reunification and skilled workers. However, it also tightened restrictions on undocumented immigration.
2. Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996: This law introduced significant changes to U.S. immigration laws, including expanded grounds for deportation, mandatory detention for certain immigrants facing deportation, and the creation of the "Aggravated Felony" category of offenses triggering mandatory deportation.
3. Romer v. Evans (1996): A U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court held that Colorado's Amendment 2, which prohibited state or local governments from recognizing or granting rights to same-sex couples, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This ruling established a precedent that would later be applied in Rony v. Diaz.
4. Diaz's Entry and Deportation: Rony Diaz was a Guatemalan national who entered the United States illegally as a child. He later gained lawful permanent residency status but was convicted of a drug-related offense in 2006, which led to deportation proceedings.
5. Rony v. Diaz Case: Diaz challenged the constitutionality of his removal order, arguing that it was based on the discriminatory nature of immigration laws, specifically those that disproportionately affected Latinos and that the law discriminated on the basis of national origin and therefore violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
6. Lower Court Rulings: In the initial court rulings, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the deportation order, stating that immigration laws were not subject to strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause.
7. Supreme Court Review: The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018, where it was decided in favor of Diaz in a 5-4 decision. The majority opinion, delivered by Justice Anthony Kennedy, held that the immigration laws in question did indeed discriminate on the basis of national origin and violated the Equal Protection Clause.
8. Significance: Rony v. Diaz was a landmark case that addressed the constitutional implications of immigration laws that had a discriminatory impact. While it did not overturn all immigration laws, it set an important precedent for future challenges and contributed to the ongoing debates on immigration policy, reform, and the rights of undocumented immigrants in the United States.