LAFAYETTE - A Louisiana man is suing to challenge a state law that has prevented him and other immigrants from obtaining a marriage license because they couldn't produce a birth certificate.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court claims the marriage law amended last year by state lawmakers violates the constitutional rights of 31-year-old Viet "Victor" Anh Vo.

Vo said that he and his fiancee were stunned when a court clerk rejected their application for a marriage license two weeks before their February wedding.

A Republican lawmaker who sponsored January's changes in the state's marriage laws said it was designed to crack down on fraudulent marriages.

But Vo's lawsuit claims the law violates his constitutional rights and was intended to discriminate against foreign-born people.