posted 06-25-2012 10:05 AM                  

The court did not throw out the state provision requiring police to check the immigration status of someone they suspect is not in the United States legally. Even there, though, the justices said the provision could be subject to additional legal challenges.

The decision upholds the “show me your papers” requirement for the moment. But it takes the teeth out of it by prohibiting police officers from arresting people on minor immigration charges.

The court announced that Thursday would be the last day of rulings this term, which means the decision on President Barack Obama’s landmark health care overhaul probably will come that day.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion for the court that was unanimous on allowing the status check to go forward. The court was divided on striking down the other portions.

The court struck down these provisions: requiring all immigrants to obtain or carry immigration registration papers, making it a state criminal offense for an illegal immigrant to seek work or hold a job and allowing police to arrest suspected illegal immigrants without warrants.

The Obama administration sued to block the Arizona law soon after its enactment two years ago. Federal courts had refused to let the four key provisions take effect.

Five states — Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah — have adopted variations on Arizona’s law. Parts of those laws also are on hold pending the outcome of the Supreme Court case.

posted 06-25-2012 11:09 AM                  

While the OBama administration, and LaRaza, may be touting a victory today,,,,,the above key provision should be considered a positive win for Arizona, other border states, and those wanting the southern border CLOSED and illegals kept out of our communities.

Rest assured, Az. law enforcement, and Sheriff Joe, will continue to step-up the background checks of criminals stopped and/or arrested

posted 06-25-2012 01:55 PM                  

Homeland Security suspends immigration agreements with Arizona police
The Washington Times
Monday, June 25, 2012

Undecided
Other

The Obama administration said Monday it is suspending existing agreements with Arizona police over enforcement of federal immigration laws, and said it has issued a directive telling federal authorities to decline many of the calls reporting illegal immigrants that the Homeland Security Department may get from Arizona police.

Administration officials, speaking on condition they not be named, told reporters they expect to see an increase in the number of calls they get from Arizona police — but that won’t change President Obama’s decision to limit whom the government actually tries to detain and deport.

“We will not be issuing detainers on individuals unless they clearly meet our defined priorities,” one official said in a telephone briefing.

The official said that despite the increased number of calls, which presumably means more illegal immigrants being reported, the Homeland Security Department is unlikely to detain a significantly higher number of people and won’t be boosting personnel to handle the new calls.

“We do not plan on putting additional staff on the ground in Arizona,” the official said.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Arizona may not impose its own penalties for immigration violations, but it said state and local police could check the legal status of those they have reasonable suspicion to believe are in the country illegally.

That means police statewide can immediately begin calling to check immigration status — but federal officials are likely to reject most of those calls.

Federal officials said they’ll still perform the checks as required by law but will respond only when someone has a felony conviction on his or her record. Absent that, ICE will tell the local police to release the person.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said the court’s decision frees police up to perform immigration checks. In anticipation of the ruling, she issued an executive order calling for guidance to be issued to every police department on how to fairly carry out the law.

“We will move forward, instructing law enforcement to begin practicing what the United States Supreme Court has upheld,” she said.

But the Obama administration is under pressure from immigrant-rights groups to cut down on the number of people it is deporting and has taken a number of steps to try to limit deportations of rank-and-file illegal immigrants and focus instead on those with criminal records or repeated immigration violations.

Last week, Mr. Obama said he would halt deportations for most illegal immigrants under 30 who were brought here as children.

On Monday the administration officials also said they are ending the seven 287(g) task force agreements with Arizona law enforcement officials, which proactively had granted some local police the powers to enforce immigration laws.

The task forces, named for the section of law that allows them, have proved popular among many localities but have been a political headache for the Obama administration, with immigrant-rights groups saying they led to abuses.

On Monday the administration officials said they had concluded the seven agreements they had signed with various departments in Arizona weren’t working and took the Supreme Court’s ruling as a chance to scrap them.

posted 06-25-2012 10:08 PM                  

That doesn't make any sense to me. I would think it would cause the opposite. I would think the folks who support stronger immigration laws would be happy with the law the way it was before Monday. Why would it become a Democratic stronghold if it was inhospitable to illegal aliens ?

posted 06-26-2012 12:00 AM                  

From Casa Grande north,,,the state is mainly Republicans and Independents who have migrated from other states,,,,,the exception being the City of Phoenix proper (Dems have a narrow advantage because Phx is a "sanctuary city" which provides shelter, financial aid, and services for the illegals, and caters to the Latino community. County wide (Maricopa) is more strongly conservative communities (Scottsdale/Mesa/Chandler/Tempe/Gilbert),,,thats why Sheriff Joe (R) gets 65% of the votes each time re-elected. State legislature is heavily Republicans as well.

Today,,,,the majority of Arizonians are pizzed about the day's happenings... In the U.S. Supreme Court, Az won the #1 concern issue of the four issues voted on,,,,,and then,, the King, the non-leader of the free world, decided he didn't like the Supreme Court's decision and ordered Homeland Security and ICE 'not' to take calls from Az law enforcement officers trying to confirm the citizenship of those law breakers/criminals being arrested.

62% of Az voters approved of the SB1070 law passed by the Az Legislature,,,,and now those voters are truly upset with the BHO administration. The top court in our legal system, the Supreme Court, hands down
it's decisions and the top person sworn to uphold the laws of the land, over-rules their decision because he didn't like the outcome of the court. He's no leader!

He's more worried about the rights of illegals over the welfare of the American people. Mainly worried about getting their votes for re-election. He should be working on jobs creation, and more important issues of the day.

The 'illegal alien problem' in Az is costing this state $1.7 billion in providing Healthcare/Education/Incarceration to these un-welcomed, law breaking, illegal aliens. Not to mention the added problems created in dealing with Drug movement across our border, prostitution rings, human trafficking, gun battles, and increased crime stats in our communities.

posted 06-26-2012 12:22 AM                  

and we are spending "billion$" to build Light Rail System (electric) to move the masses around....

and ride payment is done on the 'honor system'

posted 06-26-2012 07:16 AM                  

and by some accounts....the latino vote is the most fertile area for obama to court.....enough so that is might make up for the loss of independants...after all...he will still have the black vote, the far left vote, and is still polling relatively well with women and the gay and lesbian vote....that leave latinos....where he is enormously popular...and the jewish vote...where he has lost much support...

so it may just be that this "apparant fight" with arizona is merely an attempt to characterise this as another war....on latinos....with obama being yet again the savior...after all..obama is polling very well in arizona...so he can claim that his policies are supported by the arizona people...and that the arizona elite are out of touch....

posted 06-26-2012 07:36 AM                  

I'd have to take exception with BHO doing well in Az with polling numbers.

The state is in the top 3 in home foreclosures,,,unemployment very high,,,municipal and state governments stretched thin on budget $$$,,,illegal alien labor driving down wages,,,crime and drugs created by illegals are still a major concern,,,,so the perception of BHO doing well here just isn't the case, unless the polling numbers are from the liberal towns in southern Arizona.