The Orlando Sentinel reported today that a federal judge in Phoenix ruled in favor of the federal government late yesterday in its petition for injunction against the implementation of the Arizona immigration law (SB 1070) that was scheduled to be in effect today. The judge ruled that the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws rest with the federal government.
The temporary injunction delays some of the most controversial sections of the law which includes, a section that requires law enforcement while enforcing other laws to check a person’s immigration status. The injunction also prohibits enforcement of the section of the law that requires immigrants to produce evidence of their immigration status and prohibited undocumented day laborers from assembling in public areas to seek employment. Lastly, the injunction prohibits Arizona state and local law enforcement officers from arresting individuals believed to be undocumented immigrants.
The federal government’s key argument in this case was that federal law is above state law, a concept known as pre-emption that our country’s founding fathers devised when the U.S. Constitution was drafted.
The ruling has also brought awareness to lawmakers in other states that were monitoring the events in Arizona to determine if similar legislation could be introduced in their state legislatures.
Overall, the judge’s ruling was a victory for the federal government and this is confirmation of the federal government’s authority to implement and enforce our nation’s immigration laws.
Related posts:
Protests Against Arizona Immigration Law Scheduled for Tomorrow
