August 09, 2007
U.S. Commerce Fights Arizona Illegal Immigrant Law
The nation’s most powerful business lobbying group, which annually spends millions of dollars to influence the executive and legislative branches, is challenging a new Arizona law that punishes those who hire illegal immigrants.

Approved by Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano last month, the law makes it a crime to hire illegal immigrants statewide and businesses caught doing so will face stiff fines and license revocation when the legislation takes effect in January.

The strict measure was created and approved to remove the economic incentive for illegal aliens who have made Arizona the busiest gateway into the United States. Napolitano said she signed the bill because, although immigration is a federal responsibility, it is abundantly clear that Congress finds itself incapable of coping with immigration reform.

Now the law’s constitutionality is being challenged by the powerful and highly influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses. The chamber’s vice president of litigation says the law needs to be overturned because “state and local attempts to regulate the employment of undocumented workers are unconstitutional and preempted by federal law.â€