Federal Judge Blocks Key Parts of Arizona Immigration Law

A federal judge in Phoenix blocked key parts of Arizona's controversial immigration law, set to take effect Thursday, by granting a partial injunction which was requested by the Obama Administration.

The Washington Post reports that U.S. District Judge Susan B. Bolton ruled that the injunction would apply to the portion of the law that would require police to inquire a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.

In the lawsuit that was filed against Arizona, the Obama administration claimed that Arizona was overstepping their boundaries as a state because immigration is a federal matter. The lawsuit also warned that the Arizona law would lead to discrimination, racial profiling, and harassment of U.S. citizens, legal immigrants, and foreign visitors.

In her ruling, Bolton said it was "not in the public interest" for Arizona to enforce provisions that anticipate federal legislation regarding immigration.

The partial injunction will also affect provisions of the law requiring foreigners to apply for and carry certain documents, making it a state crime for undocumented persons to solicit, apply, or perform work, and mandating immigration status for any person that has been arrested prior to their release.

These partial injunctions will apply until the addressed issues are resolved in court.

While some parts of the law were blocked, other portions will go into effect Thursday at 12:01 am. The provisions include prohibiting state authorities from limiting enforcement of federal immigration laws and make it a crime to interrupt traffic by picking up day workers.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R), who signed the law into effect in April, has already said she would appeal. Brewer was quick to point out that the ruling today was only an injunction, and a partial one at that.

Today's ruling came after months of protests and political tension all over the country concerning illegal immigration. While one side claims the Arizona law is necessary to due to the idleness of the federal government on immigration issues, the other side claims that Arizona is clearly overstepping the boundaries.

The ruling today may be a partial victory for those opposing the law, but it is only the beginning of long legal battles that will surely affect the upcoming elections and the federal governments handling of illegal immigration. Amidst the legal chaos one thing will remain certain: the American public's eye will be on Arizona for quite some time.

Related Articles:
Immigration Back in National Debate

Sources:
The Washington Post
The New York Times