U.S. Supreme Court Rendered Decision On Arizona Immigration Law
Author: Immigration lawyer Alena Shautsova
U.S. Supreme Court Accepted One Section and Rejected Three Sections of AZ Immigration Law.
The Supreme Court rendered its decision on the highly controversial Arizona immigration law that proposed extensive regulation of undocumented immigrants. The justices upheld one section of the Arizona law and rejected three sections based on the reasoning that states do not have the authority to prosecute the violation of a federal law. The parts of the Arizona law that were struck down include:
- Section 3: Misdemeanor charges for failure to comply with federal immigrant registration requirements
- Section 5: Prevention of undocumented immigrants from working or seeking work in Arizona
- Section 6: Authority of state officials to arrest aliens based on probable removal by trained federal officials
The section of the Arizona immigration law that the Supreme Court allowed to stand was state authority to check the immigration status of people they stop or detain if a reasonable suspicion exists that they lack legal immigration status.
The New York Times reported the ruling as a split decision allowing the "show me your papers" section of the law to stand. Various media outlets have referred to this section of the Arizona law as the "centerpiece" or "key provision" of the Arizona immigration law. Even so, the Washington Post reported President Obama's response as pleased with the Supreme Court ruling on the immigration law. He reiterated that the federal government will continue to focus on priorities like border security and criminals who endanger the communities, not students who earn their education...and who were brought to the United States as children through no fault of their own.
If you face immigration or deportation issues, consult a New York immigration lawyer and get legal help.