Federal judge blocks core provisions of Arizona immigration law

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton put on hold the key provision’s of Arizona’s new immigration law, “The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act” (S.B. 1070), one day before it was scheduled to take effect. In a 36-page ruling Bolton wrote that it was not in the public interest for the state to enforce the law’s provisions which “would likely burden legal resident aliens and interfere with federal policy.” USA Today reports that the ruling puts on hold the most contentious of the law’s provisions which requires law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of suspects who are stopped during enforcement of other laws if they suspect a person may be in the U.S. illegally.

The newspaper reported that other parts of the law that were put on hold include: banning illegal immigrants from seeking jobs; requiring documented immigrants to apply for or carry registration papers, and requiring verification of immigration status of an arrested person prior to release.

Ariz. Governor Jan Brewer, who signed the bill on April 23, announced that she was disappointed with the judge’s ruling. On July 29 Brewer filed an expedited appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. She said she would take the battle to the Supreme Court if necessary.