Thread: ALIPAC: Reaction: Immigration Law Ruling 'Just the Beginning

Reaction: Immigration Law Ruling 'Just the Beginning'

Andrea Stone Senior Washington Correspondent
AOL National News

(July 28 ) -- The 11th-hour decision by a federal judge to block the most controversial provisions of Arizona's immigration law won't stop the clock on the fight over illegal immigration.

Soon after U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton issued her ruling on SB 1070, putting on hold some of its most divisive measures for cracking down on illegal immigrants, a disappointed but defiant Republican Gov. Jan Brewer made clear she would not back down.

"This fight is far from over," she said in a statement. "In fact, it is just the beginning, and at the end of what is certain to be a long legal struggle, Arizona will prevail in its right to protect our citizens."


Although a federal judge blocked key parts of Arizona's immigration law, Gov. Jan Brewer declared, "The fight is far from over." Attorney General Eric Holder, right, has filed suit against the state over the law.
Brewer said the state's lawyers would soon file an expedited appeal at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in a case that could eventually wind up at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Massive protests had been planned for Thursday, when the law takes effect. Those may be more muted now that Bolton has blocked a requirement that law enforcement officers check the immigration status of people stopped for other offenses and a provision that would have required immigrants to carry their identification papers at all times.

The court ruling followed the filing of seven lawsuits challenging SB 1070's constitutionality. Some argued the law was a veiled endorsement of racial profiling. Attorney General Eric Holder sued Arizona on the grounds that immigration is a federal, not a state, responsibility.

"While we understand the frustration of Arizonans with the broken immigration system, a patchwork of state and local policies would seriously disrupt federal immigration enforcement and would ultimately be counterproductive," Justice Department spokeswoman Hannah August said. "States can and do play a role in cooperating with the federal government in its enforcement of the immigration laws, but they must do so within our constitutional framework."

August said the administration, which will deploy 1,200 National Guard troops to the border starting Sunday, would continue to step up enforcement of immigration laws "while pressing for a comprehensive approach that provides true security and strengthens accountability and responsibility in our immigration system at the national level."

Anti-immigration groups seethed over the ruling.

"This is far too important a law to be halted by one judge's decision," a disappointed Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform told AOL News. "We believe her logic is flawed. She seemed to buy the notion that enforcing laws is burdensome. Yes, it is burdensome. But that's the reason for having laws."

William Gheen of Americans for Legal Immigration was livid, calling the decision "anti-American" and accusing Bolton of being "part of the cabal" opposed to the Arizona statute.

"I'm sure the illegals will be dancing in the streets that their messiah Obama has helped to cover their mass lawlessness," Gheen told AOL News. "We the people of the United States are no longer enjoying a democratic republican form of government. Instead, we have an oligarchy that includes this president and this judge that is intent upon helping illegal immigrants at the peril of American citizens ..."

Gheen predicted that instead of diffusing the issue, the court decision will ratchet up emotions. "The anger level against business leaders, special interests and politicians that are responsible for this invasion is going to intensify," he said.

But opponents of the law cheered the legal victory.

"Everyone in the state of Arizona can breathe a sigh of relief that the law won't go into effect tomorrow and be sure that people's rights won't be violated," said Cecillia Wang of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project in San Francisco. She said the ACLU, which sued the state of Arizona, will continue its fight to invalidate the entire law, not just the parts Bolton enjoined.

The judge "did what was the moral and the right thing to do," said the Rev. Miguel Rivera, chairman of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, the first national group to challenge SB 1070 in court.

Lisa Magana, a professor of Latino studies and an immigration expert at Arizona State University, likened the ruling to a previous court decision finding California's Proposition 187 unconstitutional because it stepped on federal authority. But she said that even though Bolton struck down what she sees as the law's most objectionable parts, "the damage is done" to Arizona's national image.

Just as when the state and its Republican members of Congress held out on recognizing the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday despite pleas from President Ronald Reagan, she said, "it's going to be years before they get past this."

But if the law has been a "public relations failure," as Magana put it, it was a success in mobilizing Latinos to get more involved in politics. "The Republican Party has shot itself in the foot when it comes to Latino constituents. ... They were very shortsighted and now a lot of Latinos will align with Democrats because of this anti-immigrant rhetoric," she said.

On the state level, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard -- who opposed the law and is vying for the Democratic nomination for governor -- seized on the ruling as a campaign talking point.

"Rather than providing the leadership Arizona needs to solve the immigration problem, Jan Brewer signed a bill she could not defend in court which has led to boycotts, jeopardized our tourism industry and polarized our state," he said on his website.

If there was one thing opponents and supporters of the law agreed on, it was that the ruling sends the issue back to Washington.

"On a political level, this puts the ball back in the Obama administration's court," Mehlman said, who predicted even greater pressure will build on the federal government to tighten border security.

Rivera, who heads one of several conservative evangelical groups that oppose the Arizona law, said he expected Congress to "move forward with the legalization initiative so undocumented immigrants can step out of the shadows, pay a fine and demonstrate that they want to comply with all the requirements to be legal in America."

While Congress may have other things on its plate as the midterm elections approach, immigration advocates hope the court ruling will renew momentum for passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill on Capitol Hill.

"The judge's ruling is sound and should send a strong signal to Washington," said Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy and advocacy at the liberal Center for American Progress. "Federal lawmakers from both parties must come out from under their desks and work toward a lasting solution for America's communities, instead of letting states turn themselves into immigration enforcement experiments that put police in a corner and paint a bull's-eye on the backs of people based on how they look."

Filed under: Nation, Politics

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/r ... g/19572153

Now some Illegal Alien criminal activity will be the responsibility of this woman and her decision.
She will have blood on her hands because of her failure to protect U S citizens.

How would "Hispanics make her pay"? Is she a target? What makes Holder think there won't be violence after this ruling, by fed up Americans? Oh that's right, it's OK if Americans get hurt, just keep his precious foreign invaders (future Democrats) safe.

There is no damage done to Arizona's image what so ever. And if there is it would only be to the people that support illegal aliens invasion and amnesty for these criminals

Terry Goddard (D) will be running for Governor of Arizona and he is for immigration reform(amnesty). He says these people had built the Southwest and should have the opportunity to become citizens. That the present system prevents this. He is on CNN tonight.

What a smack down for America on this Judges decision. Maybe she was bought just like the Senators to sign the Healthcare Bill for Obama.

The resentment toward illegal aliens in going to intensify like never before. Americans will never accept illegal aliens EVER.

butterbean, I would have to agree with your comment. If they are doing a very good job of creating racial prejudices to very high limits themselves with this kind of action from Bolton and Obama Administration.

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-5506--0-0.html

I'm sure if a civil war started some of them would depart on their own. Americans won't wait for this group to be "legalized." I've had it.

Rivera, who heads one of several conservative evangelical groups that oppose the Arizona law, said he expected Congress to "move forward with the legalization initiative so undocumented immigrants can step out of the shadows

They're already "out of the shadows." They're marching in our friggin streets!

"States can and do play a role in cooperating with the federal government in its enforcement of the immigration laws, but they must do so within our constitutional framework."

I bet she hasn't read the SB 1070 either.

Enough with the lies!