Lawyers in Ariz. immigration case chime in on when law's most contentious section takes effect

therepublic.com

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
September 17, 2012 - 5:19 pm EDT

PHOENIX — Lawyers for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and the Obama administration have presented a federal judge with their suggested wording for a court order that would let police enforce the most contentious section of the state's immigration law.

Attorneys on both sides agreed that a 2010 order blocking enforcement of the provision should be lifted once U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton signs a new order. The ultimate decision on when the section goes into effect is up to Bolton.

The provision requires police, while enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally.

Police have been barred from enforcing the questioning requirement, dubbed by critics as the "show me your papers" provision, since July 2010. But a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June upheld the provision and cleared the way for officers to enforce it.

Bolton sought input from both sides on how to carry out the Supreme Court's ruling.

In a separate but related case, a civil rights coalition has asked Bolton and an appeals court to block enforcement of the provision while they appeal Bolton's Sept. ruling that sunk the coalition's bid to bar police from enforcing the provision.

The coalition responded to the Supreme Court decision by asking Bolton to bar enforcement of the requirement on the grounds that Latinos in Arizona would face systematic racial profiling and unreasonably long detentions.

Brewer's attorneys told Bolton that the request ought to be denied because the opponents aren't making any new arguments.

Lawyers in Ariz. immigration case chime in on when law's most contentious section takes effect