Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Challenge to Controversial Arizona Immigration Law
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide the fate of Arizona’s new immigration law in an appeal accepted today.
Justice Elena Kagan will not participate in the case, report SCOTUSblog, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times and the Washington Post.
The Arizona law authorizes police to check the immigration status of people who are stopped. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked enforcement of the law earlier this year when it upheld a preliminary injunction. At issue is whether states can enforce federal immigration laws.
The injunction had blocked key provisions that:
• Required police officers to check the immigration status of a person legally stopped, detained or arrested, if they have a reasonable suspicion the person is in the United States illegally.
• Made it a state crime for immigrants to fail to register with the federal government.
• Made it illegal for undocumented workers to solicit employment.
• Authorized warrantless arrests when there is probable cause to believe a person has committed a public offense warranting deportation.
