Opponents of a Michigan ballot initiative that would ban affirmative action by public colleges and other state agencies have taken their case to federal court, the Detroit Free Press reported this morning. The measure, which is set to appear on the November ballot, would prohibit the consideration of race in hiring and admissions decisions.

The measure’s foes had previously tried to derail it in state court, but in March the Michigan Supreme Court cleared the way for it to appear on the ballot (The Chronicle, March 30).

Detroit’s mayor, several local groups, and Operation King’s Dream, an affiliate of By Any Means Necessary, filed the latest suit in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, the newspaper reported. The suit alleges that Michigan residents were deceived into signing a petition to put the measure on the ballot.

The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, the group behind the ballot measure, has denied the allegations of fraud and said it would work to get the new lawsuit dismissed.