Arizona Immigration Law Dealing with Day Laboers Partially Blocked by Court

Arizona’s immigration law, SB1070, which became effective on July 2010, was partially blocked this week. The specific provision that was blocked dealt with prohibiting people from blocking traffic while seeking or obtaining day laborer services on the streets.

District judge Susan Bolton, the judge that blocked this provision, provided that it would give just cause for opponents to claim an invasion of their First Amendment right. Judge Bolton even stated that opponents of the law were “likely to succeed on the merits of their claim”.

Republican Governor Jan Brewer who passed the strict immigration law, was seeking to target migrant workers through the day labor provision. The decision disappointed Brewer whom stated that it was an “erroneous decision by the U.S. District Court to strike down a significant public safety component”.

National Day Laborer Organizing Network, a non-profit, celebrated the ruling, which was also opposed by President Obama, many Democrats, and a number of civil rights groups. Opponents of the law believed it would lead to harassment and racism toward Hispanic Americans.

The portions of SB 1070 that provides a requirement for police to check the immigration status of anyone they suspected was in the country illegally, was also blocked by Bolton in a prior ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear the case on SB1070 on April 25th, and Arizona is appealing that the previous rulings be placed on hold until then.

Published in Notitas de Noticias

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