No. 17-834October Term 2019Decided Mar 3, 2020
Kansas v. Garcia
Kansas prosecuted several unauthorized workers for identity theft and related state crimes after they used other people’s Social Security numbers on job and tax forms.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Mar 3, 2020
- What it's about
Kansas prosecuted several unauthorized workers for identity theft and related state crimes after they used other people’s Social Security numbers on job and tax forms. The case is about whether federal immigration law blocks states from bringing those prosecutions because the conduct overlaps with the federal employment-verification system.
Question presented
1. Whether IRCA expressly preempts the States from using any information entered on or appended to a federal Form I-9, including common information such as name, date of birth, and social security number, in a prosecution of any person (citizen or alien) when that same, commonly used information also appears in non-IRCA documents, such as state tax forms, leases, and credit applications. 2. Whether the Immigration Reform and Control Act impliedly preempts Kansas's prosecution of Respondents?
- Case path
Supreme Court of Kansas / Decision released Mar 3, 2020
- Area
Immigration, Business and Regulation
Timing
Decided March 3, 2020
The Court released its decision on March 3, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology