Suing Arizona: The political pros and cons

politico.com
By JOSH GERSTEIN
11/19/11 7:02 AM EST


A recent survey found 61 percent of Americans support the Arizona immigration law. | Reuters

At first blush, the Obama administration’s decision to launch a legal crusade against Arizona and two other states that have passed laws cracking down on illegal immigrants seems like a sure political loser — the three Justice Department lawsuits fly squarely in the face of public support for the new laws and play into a familiar conservative narrative about an overbearing and intrusive federal government.

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