The case National Coalition of Latino Clergy, Inc. v. Henry centered on Oklahoma’s controversial House Bill 1804, also known as the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007. The law imposed strict measures aimed at discouraging illegal immigration, including provisions that barred undocumented immigrants from obtaining public benefits and criminalized the act of knowingly transporting or harboring them.

The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, alongside individual plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality, arguing it conflicted with federal immigration policies and violated the rights of undocumented individuals. The plaintiffs contended that the law infringed upon federal authority over immigration and risked encouraging discrimination. The case highlighted the tension between state-level immigration policies and federal law, as well as the broader national debate on immigration reform and enforcement. While the court ultimately upheld parts of the law, it struck down others, illustrating the complexity of balancing state enforcement measures with constitutional protections.