Timelines

Voted into law during the 1994 general elections, the proposition’s widespread voter support reflected the rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment in the 1990s. The law was immediately blocked by a state injunction and became the subject of a multi-year court battle that culminated in a 1997 federal court ruling that found Proposition 187 unconstitutional. Yet, Proposition 187 was precedent setting: it marked the first time that immigration legislation was passed at a state rather than federal level. Since its passage in 1994, several other states have moved to police undocumented immigration (see also: Punishment Increases for Undocumented Migrants, 1996). Additionally, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 enacted aspects of its agenda at the federal level.