The Houston Chronicle reported recently that thousands of people from around the country rallied in the Phoenix, AZ area last week to protest a new and harsh law that will take effect on July 29th enforcing the federal immigration laws on a state level.
Demonstrators called on the federal government to stop the state of Arizona from enforcing the new law. The law will require law enforcement to question the immigration status of anyone arrested or stopped, who they also reasonably believe is in the U.S. illegally. The law also gives law enforcement the authority to arrest and refer to the immigration authorities anyone who cannot prove their lawful immigration status.
In light of the new law, other state legislatures are considering taking the same measures. Supporters of the Arizona law argue that the federal government has failed in enforcing the immigration laws, therefore, the states must take it upon themselves to do what the federal government has been unable to do.
We must all be reminded that the immigration laws and its enforcement rest with the federal government. Many suspect that there will be legal challenges to this law in the coming months. We must now leave it to the federal courts and see if they will rule whether the state enforcement of federal immigration laws is unconstitutional.