Wednesday, July 28, 2010

A Cautious Sigh of Relief for Arizona....

This morning, just hours before Arizona’s now infamous (and blatantly racist) immigration law, SB 1070, was set to go into effect, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked several of the key passages of the law.

· The ruling blocked the SB1070 provision that mandated police officers to check the immigration status of a person detained, stopped, or arrested so long as the police officer had a reasonable suspicion the detainee might be undocumented.

· It is no longer a crime in Arizona to fail to apply for or carry immigrant registration papers.

· In addition, the ruling also delayed parts of the law that would have made it illegal for undocumented workers "to solicit, apply for, or perform work.”

· Lastly, the ruling blocked the (BLATANTLY unconstitutional) passage that “authorized the warrantless arrest of a person” without any reasonable suspicion that the person might be subject to deportation.

Charges were filed against SB1070 by the U.S. Justice Department, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Coalition of Latino Clergy, the Christian Leaders League of United Latin American Citizens, and several Arizona state police officers.

Judge Bolton heard a variety of arguments ranging from unconstitutional racial profiling, the inability to effectively enforce the law, and the preemption of federal supremacy on immigration. In front of a packed courthouse, ACLU attorney Karen Tumlin boldly stated: “[SB1070] treats people of color as suspectes first, rather than citizens.” Although many people in Arizona can rest easier tonight, the fight is by no means over. Many provisions of this law will go into effect at midnight tonight and SB1070 still remains the toughest immigration law on the books.

What’s Next for Arizona.

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