PHOENIX (Reuters) – A woman barred from seeking elected office in an Arizona border town by a judge who ruled she did not have a sufficient grasp of English has decided to fight the controversial ruling, and filed an appeal on Friday, her lawyer said.
A Yuma County judge disqualified Alejandrina Cabrera, a U.S. citizen born in Yuma, from running for a seat on the city council in the town of San Luis this week for what he called a “large gap” between her English proficiency and that required to serve on the council.
“It was clear to the court that she was stymied by many questions, did not understand many questions, failed to comprehend what was being asked, and guessed at answers,” the court ruling said.
The judge, in a move that sparked a debate over language in often bilingual U.S.-Mexican border communities, said Cabrera’s English was not of the level needed to carry out the professional duties required of a representative of the public.
A notice of appeal was filed with the court late on Friday afternoon, according to Brandon Kinsey, one of Cabrera’s attorneys.
Kinsey said the vast majority of his own conversations with Cabrera have been conducted in English and that she meets the baseline requirement for reading, writing, and speaking in the language.