A panel of three federal judges will consider the constitution of Arizona Law SB 1070. SB 1070 was the measure passed that let police question someone’s immigration status when an officer pulled someone over on a different violation. An earlier federal judge had struck down parts of the measure as unconstitutional.
Arizona law enforcement agencies have issued requests for more weaponry and manpower to deal with the kidnapping and drug violence that has come through the state. Drug dealers also do a brisk side business of transporting people across the border illegally into the United States. Critics of the measure said the bill would lead to racial profiling.
Protesters for illegal alien rights groups protested after attorneys made their arguments this Monday. Chanters chanted, “Human Right[s] under attack, what we do? Stand up, fight back.” Members of the We Are All Arizonans organization stated that the new law kept illegal aliens from looking for work. Federal law currently prohibits employers from hiring non-legal U.S. Residents.
The Obama administration has challenged the bill for overstepping state jurisdiction. SB 1070 provided sweeping law enforcement powers that are broader than those used by the Department of Homeland Security. Although the bill’s future remains in doubt, at least 25 other states have placed similar measures before the legislature.
Whether or not those bills will make it beyond the House committees that hear them will depend on the fate of SB 1070 in federal court. Legal Analysts expect the Supreme Court to have the final word upon the constitutionality of the law.
