US Ruling on Arizona Law a Victory for Immigrants

April 14, 2011 - Monday’s US Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on Arizona’s controversial anti-immigration law was a victory for immigrants. The court upheld a lower federal court’s injunction that blocked most of Arizona law SB 1070. The specific provisions of the law that were addressed by the courts were:

• the requirement that police check a stopped person’s immigration status
• the requirement that immigrants carry federally issued documentation
• the criminalisation of employment-seeking by undocumented immigrants
• the provision to allow the arrest of suspected undocumented immigrants without a warrant.

The court concluded that the provisions infringed on the exclusive power of the federal government to enforce immigration laws, and violated both the Arizona and US Constitutions.

The battle is not over yet: reports suggest that Arizona governor Jan Brewer will probably appeal to the US Supreme Court, which may decide whether or not to hear the case. Several states have been considering similar legislation, including Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas.