Immigration News 2014: Supreme Court Refuses To Reconsider Arizona Immigration Law; Gov. Jan Brewer Speaks Out
The Supreme Court declined to revive a provision in an Arizona immigration law Monday. The provision seeks to make it a crime to encourage illegal immigration into Arizona or to transport illegal immigrants within the state.
A lower court found that this provision was too vague and trumped by federal law. The lower court placed an injunction on this part of the law and the injunction was upheld by the 9th Court of Appeals which led to it making its way to the Supreme Court, where they denied to discuss the matter.
This is not the first time the Supreme Court has heard cases regarding the 2010 Arizona law. In 2012, the Court upheld other provisions of the law like the provision stating law enforcement officials can ask about a person's legal status if they suspect they are in the U.S. illegally.
Groups that work with immigrants, including the Border Action Network, challenged the provision and in 2012 it was blocked in U.S. District Court in Phoenix and in October it was upheld by the 9th Court of Appeals.
"This is another major legal defeat for SB 1070, and leaves in place a federal circuit court decision that found the law's harboring provision unconstitutional in multiple ways," said Omar Jadwat, the lead attorney for the ACLU. "SB 1070 is a stain on Arizona's reputation and today's decision confirms that other states have been wise to reject similar laws."
But the Arizona governor's office is disappointed by this ruling.
"Arizona's ability to combat criminal elements of illegal immigration in our own state is further eroded," Andrew Wilder, spokesman for Gov. Jan Brewer said in an e-mail. "The ruling is yet another blow to a state's responsibility and authority to enforce public safety and defend the well-being of its citizens."
The harboring statute faced opposition from several groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Immigration Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
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