After Arizona Immigration Decision on SB 1070, What's Next?

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Domestic Issues

(Credit: AP Photo /Arizona Daily Star)

District Judge Susan Bolton brought key parts of Arizona's controversial immigration law to a slamming halt yesterday, but the practical and political fallout from her decision is just now unfolding.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said the state will file an expedited appeal today, the Arizona Republic reports, and ask the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to lift Bolton's injunction on the four most contentious portions of the law. The state will also ask the court to fast-track court filings and a ruling.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officials are grappling with how to proceed. Other elements of the law still take effect today, including a provision allowing Arizona residents to sue if they feel the police department is impeding enforcement of immigration laws, as well as a provision that makes it a crime to impede traffic by picking up day laborers on the side of the road.

A number of police agencies say they plan to maintain existing protocols while waiting to see what happens next in the legal battle over the new measures, according to the Arizona Republic.

Demonstrators for and against the law are discussing their next steps, the newspaper reports, while everyone waits for Bolton to rule on six additional lawsuits filed against the immigration measure, SB 1070, filed by groups like the ACLU.

In the meantime, Republicans are using the setback against the generally popular law to galvanize their conservative base.

For instance, GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton in Colorado is launching a new round of automated phone calls informing voters that she is proud to have the endorsement of Arizona's governor, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Rep. John Boozman, the Republican Senate candidate in Arkansas, told the Journal the SB 1070 debate is a "defining issue" and that it comes up for discussion at every town hall meeting he holds.

The Republican Governors Association released a fundraising e-mail from Brewer, asking supporters to donate to the RGA to help the "fight" for border security.

All the attention on the debate may be bad for Democrats from more culturally conservative states, but it could work to the advantage of Democrats in states with critical Latino voting blocs, according to analysis from Josh Kraushaar of National Journal. Republicans in states like California, Florida and Nevada will have to walk a fine line between rallying their conservative base and maintaining some support among Hispanics.

"Immigration has become less of a partisan issue and more of a regional issue in recent years," Kraushaar writes, "that's sure to be reflected as candidates come out with their reactions."

Meanwhile, a number of other states may be rethinking their own proposals to move forward with laws similar to Arizona's.

"This is a warning to any other jurisdiction" considering a similar law, said Thomas A. Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, reports the New York Times.

More Coverage:

Judge Hands Victory to AZ Immigration Law Foes
Read Judge Bolton's Decision
Arizona Immigration Decision: Early Reaction
Ruling Accepts Administration's Main Arguments
Tension Builds As Arizona Immigration Law Looms
Arizona Helped Deport 26,000 without New Law
Ariz. Gov. Seeks Dismissal of Immigration Suit
Neo-Nazi Group Patrolling U.S. Border
Is Political Rhetoric Hurting Ariz. Tourism?

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by zoeymaddy July 31, 2010 11:16 PM EDT: yea well why don't you try telling that to family members of people either in jail or worse who went to mexico,and never returned.when are you people gonna get it we ARE NOT racist,WE ARE however FEDUP with ILLEGIALS bleeding our system dry.we have no problem with them LEGALLY coming here for a better life,our problem is they ARE ILLEGIAL,that is a crime.second,they think we owe them this,if they want to be here so bad,and they want a BETTER LIFE,LEARN ENGLISH assimilate with your new community,and most importantly do so LEGALLY!!!!all you people seem to know is to play that race card.it is is getting rather old.; Reply to this comment


by guest173 July 30, 2010 5:30 PM EDT: It is hypocritical to let California break federal law with their marijuana policies but going after Arizona. The Feds need to stop California too if they expect other states to not make their own laws whenever they feel like it.; Reply to this comment


by shellguy01 July 29, 2010 11:09 PM EDT: What happened to the constitutionality issue. This judge "felt" that certain parts of this bill would put a burden on law enforcement and other government agencies? We need judges who judge on our laws not their feelings.; Reply to this comment

by ruthlouise July 29, 2010 5:07 PM EDT

Since the Judge ruled that illegal immigrants do not have to carry any type of papers, then why does a US citizen have to carry ID at all times, Drivers License and so forth. We US citizen can't do much of anything without our ID's. Therefore the Judge has two standards and there should only be one. The immigrants buy houses, rent, buy cars without insurance, they can purchase an international license and drive, they work without workers comp and etc, etc. What's wrong with this picture people, wake up.

Reply to this comment


by zoeymaddy July 31, 2010 10:49 PM EDT: i agree,we should all stop carring our id.if i get pulled over i will tell the officer it is a burden for me to carry my purse,and that they are racially profiling,and get right on my cell and call the aclu!we the legal americans better wake up,and unite,the sooner the better.i just read today that obama wants to side step congress and make some kinda executive order to give these friggin illegials amnesty.i never thought i'd see the day when a U.S. president would willfully,arrognantly,and any other word you can think of,go against the will of the legal american citizens,and cater to illegials and a foreign government.if he would do this we would have no choice butt to call for impeachment!!obama DOES make bush's antics look like school yard games,and it is time we STOP him and his destructive ways.our country is the laughing stock,and it is so sad that our american president is more worried about illegials than helping us the middle class stupid idiots who OBEY laws.i hope he realizes if he actually makes a full four year term,without being impeached) it will over in 2012.obama is a sorry excuse,and it makes me sad that he put our country farther down the sewer than it was.


by sunday42 July 29, 2010 4:49 PM EDT: What will happen in conjunction with an appeal is the Maricopa County Sheriff's office will increase it's crime sweeps many fold. I spotted a Sheriff's chain gang crew this morning doing a highway clean up. We in Maricopa County are going to have some of the cleanest highways on the planet. Those poor illegals that all of the bleeding hearts are worried about, those poor illegals that came to this country illegally to find work are going to get their wish, lets see how they like sheriff Joe for a boss!!; Reply to this comment


by documemts July 29, 2010 3:27 PM EDT: Brewer announced today that she will be crawling back under the rock from which she sprang.; Reply to this comment


by jabberwolf July 29, 2010 3:20 PM EDT: If you are not a citizen and commit a crime, if you cannot prove you are from USA - you will be detained until you do.
THIS IS THE SAME IN EVERY COUNTRY AND IS US FEDERAL LAW ALREADY !!!!!!
The Arizona law simply re-iterates the same requirements the federal law does.

The same citizens of the USA will be detained if we do not show identification when caught committing a crime.

It is RACIST to ask to be exempt of a law because of your race.
That is true racism!; Reply to this comment


by Living_the_High_Life July 29, 2010 2:57 PM EDT: I say let AZ have their way with this law and see how it works for a year. If it takes the crime rate and drops it to only 1/3rd of what it is now then maybe the rest of the U.S. will do the same thing. If it leads to more problems, then its a bad idea. Simple enough.; Reply to this comment

by fflanaganus July 29, 2010 2:36 PM EDT

This I found on Human Events.

Mexico's Immigration Law: Let's Try It Here at Home
by J. Michael Waller 05/08/2006

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=14632

Mexico has a radical idea for a rational immigration policy that most Americans would love. However, Mexican officials haven?t been sharing that idea with us as they press for our Congress to adopt the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill.

That's too bad, because Mexico, which annually deports more illegal aliens than the United States does, has much to teach us about how it handles the immigration issue. Under Mexican law, it is a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.

At a time when the Supreme Court and many politicians seek to bring American law in line with foreign legal norms, it?s noteworthy that nobody has argued that the U.S. look at how Mexico deals with immigration and what it might teach us about how best to solve

Past in the link above and finnish this interesting report.

I think we should fallow Mexico's immigration laws!
Read this whole report and see if you think so to.

Reply to this comment


by YourRearViewMirror1 July 29, 2010 2:59 PM EDT: fflanaganus,

What is the different between Felony under Mexico Law and Criminal under U.S. Federal Law?

In both cases, nothing is enforced.

SO, what's new in your racist point?


by zoeymaddy July 31, 2010 11:07 PM EDT: i think you are so right,but i don't think our idiot president would go along with that,so i have a real good idea.first,we impeach obama,then since he sooooo loves cauldron,and allows him to mock the U.S. in the chambers of congress,WE should HAVE HIM DEPORTED.and just so he and his family aren't to lonely,we could have nancy pelosi,and the rest of his anti-constitution gang go eith him,believe it or not i almost miss king george the second!

by olyboy July 29, 2010 2:17 PM EDT

I struggle to understand the folks that are being interviewed on TV and radio who claim the law is racist. Would the rape laws be sexist because men are generally pursued as rapists? These folks are here illegally, they are criminals and we cannot afford to have selective law enforcement in this country. Where are your brains people?

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by MurdochSucks July 29, 2010 2:51 PM EDT: They are not criminals. It is not a crime to be here without citizenship, it is just grounds for deportation. Immigrants don't go to jail when they get caught, they just go to INS and get sent back to their home country. That being said, this fact refutes your analogy of rape laws being sexist. It would be sexist however to make a rape law that pre-emptively holds men for an indeterminate amount of time to verify they are not rapists. Nice try, though.