The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday struck down most of Arizona's immigration law as an unlawful infringement on federal power. It did uphold the most important part of Arizona's immigration law: It allows police to stop and ask the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer stated she would move quickly to begin enforcing that part of the law. In the complex 5-3 ruling, all eight justices said Arizona police can continue to question the legal status of those they stop, but the five-justice majority struck down the parts of the law in which Arizona sought to impose its own criminal penalties for immigration violations. The majority said that the power is reserved exclusively for the federal government.
The decision comes a little more than a week after President Obama said last week that he would stop deporting most young adult illegal immigrants. Coupled with the ruling, it marks a seismic shift in the national immigration debate. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the majority opinion, said states cannot act in an area where the Constitution specifically grants powers to Congress. (Article I, Section 8, Clause 4)
To read the full story about the Supreme Court's latest ruling, click on the above link from WashingtonTimes.com.
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