Brennan Center for Justice

State legislatures across the country are moving to ban their courts from considering foreign, international, or religious law. Although packaged as an effort to protect American values, these bans spring from a movement whose goal is the demonization of the Islamic faith. So far, foreign law bans have been enacted in Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Arizona, while a related ban on religious law has been enacted in South Dakota. Anti-foreign law bills are currently being considered in Missouri, North Carolina and Alabama.

A report by the Brennan Center for Justice and the Center for American Progress details the discriminatory nature of these bans, as well as the legal uncertainties and practical problems they create for American businesses, families and people of all faiths.

Despite their potential for serious harm, foreign law bans have proved to be a persistent feature of state legislative agendas. Over the past four years, 123 anti-foreign law bills have been introduced in 34 states. In 2013 alone, 27 bills have been introduced in 17 states. The previous year saw 31 such bills introduced in 19 states. Significantly, half of all affected states have weathered repeated attempts to pass foreign law bans. 

The interactive map below illustrates where anti-foreign law measures have been introduced, how many of them are currently active, and how close they are to becoming law. Click on a state and scroll down for more information.