Civil Rights News: SCOTUS Hears ‘Motor Voter’ Challenge; Will High Court Justices’ Personal Lives Color View of Marriage?; Middleground on Pathway to Citizenship for Immigration Reform

Compiled by Philomena Ogalo, a Spring 2013 intern at The Leadership Conference Education Fund

High Court Divided over Ariz. Voter Requirement
Jesse J. Holland
Associated Press

The Supreme Court met on Monday to hear Arizona v. ITCA, a case about whether it is constitutional for the state to require voters to prove their citizenship before they can register to vote under the 1993 National Voter Registration Act.

High court reflects diversity of modern marriage
Robert Barnes
Washington Post

As the Supreme Court prepares to hear two cases, one regarding the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage and the other regarding the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, many are wondering how the justices will react to the presented arguments, given that several of them have not adhered to what some view as more traditional ideas of marriage.

A Senate Plan Alters Waiting Periods for Immigration
Michael D. Shear and Ashley Parker
The New York Times

A bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators is working on a compromise that would create a 13 year process for an undocumented immigrant to receive a green card and become a naturalized citizen. The plan would extend the green card wait time from eight years to 1o but reduce the waiting period for becoming a citizen from five years to three. As The Times reports:

Such a compromise might give both sides something to crow about: Republicans could argue that they pushed for a longer waiting period before a person could get a green card, which allows its holder to remain and work in the United States indefinitely. Democrats could say that illegal immigrants would become citizens faster.