Immigration Lawyer Blog

Top Justice Department officials have drafted a legal challenge asserting that Arizona's controversial immigration law is unconstitutional because it impinges on the federal government's authority to police the nation's borders, sources said Wednesday.

At the same time, the government officials said, the department's civil rights section is considering possible legal action against the law on the basis that it amounts to racial profiling of Latinos who are legally in Arizona but conceivably could be asked to provide documents proving their citizenship.

U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. met Wednesday with nine top police chiefs who object to the Arizona legislation and promised them he would act on the recommendations soon, a spokesman said.

The police chiefs urged Holder and the Obama administration, which has grave reservations about the Arizona measure, to stop the law. The chiefs said it would seriously hamper local police work if officers had to serve as border patrol policemen.

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This is a letter by Rev. Dr. Billy Bruner, Letter to the editor. Another point of view about the Arizona Law debate:

I am writing this letter in concern over so many being upset about a law dealing with “illegals.” There are those who support the illegal immigrants and feel that any law against them is injustice. If these same people are supports of “illegalism,” I wonder, would they support me driving my car without a tag, without proper driver’s license and etc.? The state of Arizona passed a law against “illegal” immigrants, not “legal” immigrants — against those who violate the law of their state and that of the U.S., as far as I can understand the law. I cannot understand why there is so much concern by American citizens about being stopped by a law enforcement officer. I do not care if one stops me, because I have nothing to hide. I may be disappointed that I am being delayed, but the fact is that if the officer is doing the stopping due to some matter that affects the laws of the county, state or national government, I have no concern. Any officer who does this outside of the legal rights he or she has concerning their position as an officer should not be an officer in the first place. I contend that those who oppose this so strongly are those who have something to hide, and/or are against the democratic laws of our great nation. I close this about “illegals” by saying that the current administration will oppose the Arizona law because it affects those who supported Obama politically. It is a political issue rather than a true matter of dealing with illegal immigrants.

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Great poem by Leslie Holman, AILA Secretary, 5/7/10

They'll take you out of the ball game
They'll pick you out of the crowd.
They'll hand you a warrant, your bags they will pack
They'll make sure you never get back
'Cause they root, root root
For their "home" team.
If you're not white it's a shame.
Don't say uno, dos, or tres strikes
you're out
At an AZ ball game.