Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Show me your papers? I don't think so

I'm very happy to report that part of the Arizona immigration law--the provision that would require American citizens to carry papers--has been blocked.  The judged restated the concern that I and many immigrant advocates have felt is the most damaging aspect of the law, saying:

“There is a substantial likelihood that officers will wrongfully arrest legal resident aliens,” she wrote. “By enforcing this statute, Arizona would impose a ‘distinct, unusual and extraordinary’ burden on legal resident aliens that only the federal government has the authority to impose" (emphasis added).

Some aspects of the law were not blocked, but this move indicates that the nativists will not have free reign in this debate.   

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