Court upholds Special Order 40

A state appellate court Wednesday upheld the validity of the LAPD's Special Order 40, the controversial policy that bans officers from asking the immigration status of crime victims and witnesses.Daily News.

In affirming a lower-court ruling, the three-judge panel said the 30-year-old order strikes the appropriate balance between immigrants' rights to equal protection and the Los Angeles Police Department's need to protect communities.

In 2006, a conservative organization and a Los Angeles resident filed suit to challenge Special Order 40, saying it violates federal immigration law and asking the court to prevent the use of taxpayer money to enforce the order.