Hines v. Davidowitz

Hines v. Davidowitz
Argued December 10–11, 1940
Decided January 20, 1941
Full case nameHines, Secretary of Labor and Industry of Pennsylvania, et al. v. Davidowitz, et al.
Citations312 U.S. 52 (more)
61 S. Ct. 399; 85 L. Ed. 581; 1941 U.S. LEXIS 1103
Case history
PriorAppeal from the District Court of the United States for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Holding
A state system of alien registration was superseded by a federal system (the Alien Registration Act) because it was an "obstacle to accomplishment" of its goals.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Charles E. Hughes
Associate Justices
James C. McReynolds · Harlan F. Stone
Owen Roberts · Hugo Black
Stanley F. Reed · Felix Frankfurter
William O. Douglas · Frank Murphy
Case opinions
MajorityBlack, joined by Roberts, Reed, Frankfurter, Douglas, Murphy
DissentStone, joined by Hughes, McReynolds

Hines v. Davidowitz, 312 U.S. 52 (1941), is a case applying the law of conflict preemption. The United States Supreme Court held that a Pennsylvania state system of alien registration was superseded by a federal system (the Alien Registration Act) because it was an "obstacle to the accomplishment" of its goals.