Judge Rules On Arizona Immigration Law
In a much anticipated ruling expected on whether or not the controversial Arizona immigration law signed by Governor Jan Brewer is constitutional or not, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton found several parts of the law as unconstitutional.
Pete Williams from MSNBC reported that the judge granted an temporary injunction barring the state from enforcing several provisions of the package of laws passed in an attempt to crack down on illegal immigration. Judge Bolton agreed with the Federal government that the laws infringed on their jurisdiction as well as create problems for those people in the country legally. She said, "requiring police in Arizona to determine the immigration status of every person arrested burdens lawfully present aliens because their liberty will be restricted while their status is checked."
The parts of the law which have been blocked are having police determine the the immigration status of everyone they arrest or conduct a traffic stop on, the provision requiring immigrants to carry their federal immigration card in Arizona, the provision making it a crime for someone in the country illegally to seek work, and the provision that allowed police to arrest someone without a warrant who they thought may have committed a crime worthy of being deported.
Interestingly, the judge did not block other provisions, one of which allows citizens to sue if they think their police departments aren't enforcing the law to the best of their ability. Another is a change made to human trafficking laws which makes it a crime to stop traffic while you pick up people on the side of the road.
This is where it stands now while the judge reviews the case, but you can be sure that activists on both sides of the issue will be mobilized for the November midterm elections. For now the law will go into effect without it's more controversial aspects, but you can be sure that there will be an appeal to remove the temporary ban long before we even get a final ruling on the case against Arizona.
Watch the edited clip on the report below:
Pete Williams from MSNBC reported that the judge granted an temporary injunction barring the state from enforcing several provisions of the package of laws passed in an attempt to crack down on illegal immigration. Judge Bolton agreed with the Federal government that the laws infringed on their jurisdiction as well as create problems for those people in the country legally. She said, "requiring police in Arizona to determine the immigration status of every person arrested burdens lawfully present aliens because their liberty will be restricted while their status is checked."
The parts of the law which have been blocked are having police determine the the immigration status of everyone they arrest or conduct a traffic stop on, the provision requiring immigrants to carry their federal immigration card in Arizona, the provision making it a crime for someone in the country illegally to seek work, and the provision that allowed police to arrest someone without a warrant who they thought may have committed a crime worthy of being deported.
Interestingly, the judge did not block other provisions, one of which allows citizens to sue if they think their police departments aren't enforcing the law to the best of their ability. Another is a change made to human trafficking laws which makes it a crime to stop traffic while you pick up people on the side of the road.
This is where it stands now while the judge reviews the case, but you can be sure that activists on both sides of the issue will be mobilized for the November midterm elections. For now the law will go into effect without it's more controversial aspects, but you can be sure that there will be an appeal to remove the temporary ban long before we even get a final ruling on the case against Arizona.
Watch the edited clip on the report below:
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