Holy Trinity Church v. United States, 143 U.S. 457 (1892), was a decision of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding a contract between Trinity Church, New York and an English preacher.

Contracts with aliens were forbidden by the U.S. Code, and specifically by "An act to prohibit the importation and migration of foreigners and aliens under contract or agreement to perform labor in the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia."

The court used the soft plain meaning rule to interpret the statute in this case. Its decision stated that "the circuit court did err when it held that the contract hiring an English rector was within the prohibition of the statute which disallowed a "...person, company, partnership, or corporation, in any manner whatsoever to prepay the transportation, or in any way assist or encourage the importation or migration, of any alien or aliens, any foreigner or foreigners, into the United States ... under contract or agreement ... to perform labor or service of any kind in the United States..."

External links

• Full text of the opinion courtesy of Justia.com
• Language and Law on Holy Trinity Church v. U.S. (1892)

1892 in law | United States Supreme Court cases