Thread: 81 Congress members back Ariz. on SB 1070

81 Congress members back Ariz. on SB 1070

Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services |
Posted: Thursday, July 22, 2010 12:00 am

PHOENIX - Eighty-one members of Congress, including two from Arizona, want the federal judge hearing a challenge to SB 1070 to know they don't believe the law is pre-empted by federal statutes.

Five senators and 76 members of the House argue the U.S. Department of Justice "misapprehends" its authority to enforce immigration law.

Separately, a group known as the Arizona Latino Republicans Association asked for permission to actively intervene in the lawsuit to help Gov. Jan Brewer defend SB 1070.

Attorneys for the organization said while its 230 members want to be treated equally with other U.S. citizens, they "do not believe in providing a safe haven to illegal immigrants."

The brief filed by the House and Senate members says federal agencies, absent explicit congressional authority, cannot choose to selectively enforce the laws adopted by Congress - a crucial point in the lawsuit before the U.S. District Court.

In its challenge to the Arizona law, the government admits the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice "exercise discretion" in dealing with illegal immigrants

For example, the lawsuit says, federal agencies sometimes forgo deporting or prosecuting people here illegally, not just because of limited resources, but for humanitarian and foreign policy reasons.

The Department of Justice says Arizona's law, which includes requirements for police to check the immigration status of those they reasonably suspect are not in this country legally, conflict and interfere with those decisions.

The members of Congress disagree, saying, "The executive's powers to enforce federal immigration law does not confer the power to pre-empt state immigration enforcement by choosing, for foreign policy or other reasons, to selectively enforce the laws."

That brief also says when Congress passed a special law in 1996 allowing state and local police to receive special training to enforce federal immigration laws, it also "reaffirmed that each state's inherent authority to enforce federal immigration laws was not restricted and that states could continue to assist in immigration enforcement."

Signers included Arizona Republicans Trent Franks and John Shadegg.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/ ... 9cd18.html

RELATED

74 House Members and 5 Senators to File Court Brief in Support of Arizona

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-206489.html

Isn't this number up from 74? Seems like more and more lawmakers are joining with Arizona in opposition to the lawsuit. It may have taken a gutsy female to start the ball rolling but at least some others are finally showing they have "some".

Which is good news. =)

http://bilbray.house.gov/2010/07/bilbra ... zona.shtml

Here are the names of all 81

The following Members of the House and Senate have signed onto the brief:

1) Congressman Trent Franks

2) Congressman Brian Bilbray

3) Congressman John Campbell

4) Congressman Gary Miller

5) Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn

6) Congresswoman Michele Bachmann

7) Congressman Duncan Hunter

8) Congressman Bill Posey

9) Congressman Ted Poe

10) Congressman Howard Coble

11) Congressman Todd Tiahrt

12) Congressman Rodney Alexander

13) Congressman John Sullivan

14) Congresswoman Virginia Foxx

15) Congressman John Fleming

16) Congressman Jerry Moran

17) Congressman Steve King

18) Congresswoman Sue Myrick

19) Congressman John Duncan

20) Congressman Jeff Miller

21) Congressman Mike Simpson

22) Congressman Scott Garrett

23) Congressman Mike Coffman

24) Congressman Jim Jordan

25) Congressman Thaddeus McCotter

26) Congressman Walter Jones

27) Congressman Paul Broun

28) Congressman John Culberson

29) Congressman John Boozman

30) Congressman Ed Royce

31) Congressman Jack Kingston

32) Congressman J. Gresham Barrett

33) Congressman Pete Hoekstra

34) Congressman John Carter

35) Congressman Tom McClintock

36) Congressman Ed Whitfield

37) Congressman Patrick McHenry

38) Congresswoman Jean Schmidt

39) Congressman Robert Aderholt

40) Congressman John Kline

41) Congressman Phil Gingrey

42) Congressman Joe Pitts

43) Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis

44) Congressman John Shadegg

45) Congressman Michael Burgess

46) Congressman Spencer Bachus

47) Congressman Lamar Smith

48) Congressman Kevin Brady

49) Congressman Todd Platts

50) Congressman Jason Chaffetz

51) Congressman Robert Latta

52) Congressman Phil Roe

53) Congressman Mike Rogers

54) Congressman Rob Wittman

55) Congressman Dana Rohrabacher

56) Congressman Elton Gallegly

57) Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite

58) Congressman Louie Gohmert

59) Congressman Wally Herger

60) Congressman Gene Taylor

61) Congressman Geoff Davis

62) Congressman Tom Graves

63) Congressman Tom Price

64) Congressman Cliff Stearns

65) Congressman Jerry Lewis

66) Congressman Gus Bilirakis

67) Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins

68) Congressman Tim Murphy

69) Congressman Randy Neugebauer

70) Congressman Doug Lamborn

71) Congressman Bob Goodlatte

72) Congressman Ken Calvert

73) Congressman Michael McCaul

74) Congressman David Dreier

75) Congressman Rob Bishop

76) Congressman J. Randy Forbes

77) Senator Roger Wicker

78) Senator Jim DeMint

79) Senator David Vitter

80) Senator James Inhofe

81) Senator John Barrasso

http://bilbray.house.gov/2010/07/bilbra ... zona.shtml