De Canas v. Bica, 424 U.S. 351 (1976), was a case decided by the US Supreme Court on February 25, 1976, that challenged Section 2805(a) of the California Labor Code.

[1] The petitioners of this case were migrant farmworkers, who had been employed by farm labor contractors, the respondents, between June and September 1972.

[1] The majority opinion, written by Justice William J. Brennan Jr., articulated three main reasons for the Supreme Court's decision: The ruling in this case provided insight into the role that state governments could play in immigration policy.

In much of American history, immigration policy and regulations were exclusively delegated to the federal government – specifically the Congress.

Thus, this case indicated that states were able to introduce policies that concerned immigration, as long as they didn't go against the goals of the federal government.