shield laws

Sheriffs in New York are voicing concern that new rules could broadly restrict their ability to cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigrant rights advocates welcome the prospect, hoping the limits will curb local law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration authorities. The debate highlights the ongoing tension between county sheriffs and state-level efforts to shield immigrant communities from federal deportation enforcement.

A group of Republican-led states has filed a lawsuit targeting so-called shield laws, the state-level protections that allow doctors in states like New York and Massachusetts to prescribe abortion pills by telemedicine to patients in states where abortion is restricted. The suits test whether one state's laws can shield providers from enforcement actions by another, escalating the legal battle over medication abortion after the Dobbs decision.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law offering protections for immigrants who are victims of crime in the state. The measure is intended to shield crime victims from immigration enforcement, according to initial reports. The full details of the law and reactions from supporters and critics have not yet been widely reported.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed new legislation aimed at protecting the state's workers from threats posed by artificial intelligence. The laws, reported by the Guardian, are intended to shield jobs and labour rights as AI adoption spreads through workplaces. The move positions California, home to much of the US tech industry, at the centre of the debate over regulating AI's impact on employment.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has asked the US Supreme Court to strike down so-called shield laws that protect out-of-state providers of abortion pills from legal action by states with strict abortion bans. The filing escalates a growing interstate legal conflict over medication abortion, as states that protect providers clash with states seeking to prosecute or punish the mailing of abortion drugs across their borders.

Several Republican-led states have petitioned the US Supreme Court to strike down abortion shield laws, which protect doctors and patients who provide or obtain abortions legal in their state but banned elsewhere. The move escalates the post-Dobbs legal battle, as shield statutes have allowed blue states to defend providers from out-of-state prosecution and litigation.

At the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Sierra Leonean human rights defenders are calling on their government to adopt national legislation that would strengthen legal protection for their work. They argue a dedicated law would shield activists from harassment and enable them to operate freely, in line with international human rights standards promoted by bodies such as the International Service for Human Rights.

A Caterpillar dealership is facing an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit over a pre-employment fitness test that the company had already discontinued. The case raises questions about whether abandoning a screening practice shields employers from liability for earlier use, and it is drawing attention from HR and employment law observers weighing its implications for hiring practices.

Several states that ban abortion are mounting a legal challenge to shield laws that protect doctors who prescribe and mail abortion pills into their jurisdictions. The dispute appears headed toward the Supreme Court, setting up a major test of whether states can enforce their abortion bans against providers acting under the legal protection of other states. The case follows a wave of shield laws passed by Democratic-led states after Roe v. Wade was overturned.