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US Judge Blocks Key Parts of Arizona Immigration Law
PHOENIX - A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked key parts of Arizona's tough new immigration law, granting the Obama administration's request for an injunction on grounds that immigration matters are the federal government's responsibility.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton agreed to an injunction on provisions including one that required a police officer to determine the immigration status of a person detained or arrested if the officer believes the person is not in the country legally.
The Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature passed the law in April to try to stem the flow of illegal immigrants over the state's border with Mexico and cut down on drug trafficking and crime -- setting it on a collision course with the federal government.
(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky in Washington and Tim Gaynor in Phoenix, Editing by Sandra Maler)
22 Comments so far
Show AllI guess Arizona Repugs will have to figure out another way to suppress Hispanic Americans from living there and voting. Poor Jan Brewer will have to find another way of enriching her friends in the Prison Industrial Complex(PIC). What's the fun of being a Republican governor when you can't stir up the Teabagger Crowd with bigotted legislation and stuff money into the pockets of your wealthy benefactors. Why, it is just so cruel to be " outed " right before redistrictising the state and just after the Census. Could the Repugs be afraid they might lose some of their precious power to those people?
I guess Arizona Repugs will have to figure out another way to suppress Hispanic Americans from living there and voting.
You seem to have little understanding about this. This law was specifically targeting illegal aliens, it was its sole purpose.
Where do you find in this law that any American would be stopped from living there or stopped from voting? Exactly where? I've read this law several times and can't find even a suggestion of what you charge.
Two words--racial profiling.
I've seen posts by Palast about this. Also Brad Blog and Crooks & Liars, etc. I'm not going to do your, or anyone elses, homework on this. I was on that border for 3 days last Jan. I've had exchanges with you on this dating back a month ago. All I can say, " A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse."
Judge Bolton,
I would like to congratulate you on having your head shoved so far up Obamas ass, that the last time you saw the light of day, was somewhere around June 08'.
Get your nerve and your balls and her head back.
You have really let the US people down.
(I am sure Obama loves you.)
Survivor:
You really ought to read the US Constitution. It isn't a long or difficult document (but no graphics, I'm afraid). Our national borders are under the jurisdiction of the US government, not of the individual states who just happen to share a border with another country. That's why we have a federal department of Immigration and Naturalization (now called ICE) and federal agents to police the borders, NOT local or state cops. It was the US government that negotiated the borders between the USA and Mexico and the USA and Canada. Remember? That's why you go through the US Customs with your imported hooch, not some local state taxation body.
Arizona will simply go another way now. They might even counter sue the government for reusing to enforce the very laws they say is only their prerogative.
Given the financial mess Arizona is in now, I'd say that tossing millions of dollars on a federal lawsuit (when just reading the Constitution would be free) would be an act of supreme (and possibly criminal) stupidity.
When your own government attacks you, ou really have little choice but to fight back. The Constitution is on the side of these Americans in Arizona and they have read it. In fact they are going to insist we live by it in spite of the trash we have in government.
I certainly agree that wasting money defending yourself from frivolous lawsuits by anti-American elements and big business is more than wasteful.
The one thing for certain is that opposition to illegal immigration just grew. This was a costly political ploy.
"Surely the only solution is immigration reform, and the only fair thing to give citizenship to anyone from south of the border who has been gainfully employed here."
That might have been possible four years ago. Not now. Too much dishonesty, too much pushing by the open borders crowd, too much stupidity by the racist organizations.
No amnesty this time. 1986 makes clear what the problem and answer are.
Do you have something against White Americans? That would be racist wouldn't it?
This case is destined for the Supremes who will IMHO uphold the AZ law.
There will be no avoiding the national political battle that is already well under way around this issue.
The ball is now in Obama's court. Because he is arguing that immigration is solely a Federal responsibility, it increases pressure on him to introduce his immigration reform plan, but I think he will successfully delay until after the Nov elections.
Then we'll see if he is going to fink out on this project also.
He won't be playing this ball game. He is all show and no go.
Obama will tackle this issue in 2011 going into 2012. Hispanics will be about 17-20 percent of the vote by then and will help elect him to a second term.
Give him some credit for pursuing this legally right now. The majority of Americans support the Arizona law so it's not about what's popular, though of course it does have to do with appealing to the Hispanic population.
We'll see about credit when he passes his immigration reform. That's where the prize is on this issue.
He gets a nod for not being completely spineless. He's shaking the T Party cage, but how much of it is just drama. This is going to the Supremes regardless.
I hope he does not fink out on this issue.
And BTW, F*ck off Elton John! He rationalizes his concert in AZ by claiming that he has no rights in California. Sir Elton is delusional claiming "victim" status for himself in relation to people, mostly poor, who could be thrown out of the US at any time.
He also broke the boycott on Israel. I guess he's more oppressed than the Gazans also.
Too sad.
dreamjoehill,
Well stated.
Chelsea
The real question is Now What? Should the borders be allowed to be as porous as ever? Should there be enforcement of the Federal Law? Should there be increased prosecution of employers?
What is the answer? Clearly the people of Arizona felt they needed to take matters into their own hands. The law was a cry for help.
The only people benefiting from illegal or undocumented labor is the employers. They get to exploit the fears of the workers and push down labor costs. It would be interesting to see the workers themselves stand up and force a resolution of the issue.
I almost see this issue with a conspiracy theory slant. As in who organized 1/2 a million people to protest this law while no one is protesting the banksters, the wars, the disappearance of the middle class, the false unemployment numbers, the gulf oil spill etc.
The real winners are the Republicans who get to blame the Democrats for not enforcing the law, while at the same time pleasing their donors who benefit from cheap exploited labor.
Aimlow Joe was here
http://www.aimlow.com
This whole schmozzle would not have occurred if years ago Bush would have allowed Arizona's request for Federal enforcement of immigration laws within the state but he refused to lift a finger as his Arizona Republican friends needed cheap labor.
Why not just shitcan the whole bill?
Let Arizona secede, I don't want one single of my tax dollars wasted suing that piece of trash state. Useless, white supremacist, xenophobic, homophobic and chauvinistic people.
The land itself is nothing but sand, a wasteland, and as soon as that desert becomes another country a fence should be built around it. Let's then blast the first racist rat who tries to cross the border. Let's see how they like to be racially profiled.
I am greatly puzzled by this outburst of concern about citizens perhaps being detained illegally for an hour at a police station in Tucson. That is very bad but how does that compare to the thrashing of the Fourth Amendment of our Constitution by Mr. Bush and Mr. Obama which has prompted Mr. Obama to detain persons in Guantanamo indefinitely without trial or even without the right of habeas corpus? In my book the second is infinitely worse. Why don't you anti-Arizona protesters write a piece to Common Dreams every day protesting Mr. Obama's illegal detention of persons ordered to be freed by a U. S. judge? Are you only angry when your ox gets gored? To me it seems that is so. If so, shame on you.