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Chennai | |
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| Location | |
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Chennai | |
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Blow to Arizona immigration law
Washington: In a serious setback to the state of Arizona, the tough immigration laws it passed earlier this year were blocked by a federal judge.
Judge Susan Bolton ruled in favour of a lawsuit filed by the Obama administration as she forbade Arizona authorities from implementing central provisions of the new immigration law until the case was fully heard.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer caused a nationwide furore in April when she signed into law the SB 1070 Bill, which made failure to carry immigration documents a punishable offence. It also gave police sweeping powers to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.
The ruling, while not blocking SB 1070 in its entirety, blocks several key powers granted to law enforcement authorities. Most importantly, this includes the power to “determine the immigration status of a person stopped, detained or arrested if there is a reasonable suspicion that the person is unlawfully present in the U.S., and requiring verification of the immigration status of any person arrested prior to releasing that person”.
In a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in July, Attorney-General Eric Holder had challenged the constitutionality of SB 1070, arguing the power to regulate immigration was “vested exclusively in the federal government”.
The judgment comes at a time when no fewer than 20 states are contemplating harsher immigration rules. Those opposing SB 1070 argue that the ruling is a warning to other jurisdictions considering similar laws. Democratic Governors across such states are reportedly pressuring President Barack Obama as they are worried about the political consequences of opposing such laws so close to the Congressional elections in November.
