Opponents of Arizona Law Plan Recourse if Supreme Court Upholds Law

Opponents of Arizona’s immigration-enforcement law are planning their strategy in case the Supreme Court upholds sections of the law. The high court listened to arguments for and against several provisions of the law in April and a decision on the case is expected by the end of June.Opponents believe the law promotes racial profiling by requiring police to question individuals they believe to be in the country illegally, which would cause them to target Hispanics. The law, however, only allows police to question individuals after they’ve stopped, detained, or arrested the individual.Opponents say they will ask lower courts to offer an injunction against provisions of the law upheld by the Supreme Court and also on the grounds that the provisions may result in traffic stops that are longer than permitted under law. Leading the cause are the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center. Opponents say the Supreme Court, should they uphold the law, would send it back to the lower courts that would then decide when the law would go into effect. They say similar legislation that was passed in other states would also have to go through the same process.Civil Rights groups are also making plans should the law stand. They are planning a public relations campaign that includes public meetings and bus tours across the state of Arizona.On June 12th, Gov. Jan Brewer ordered a state board to distribute videos designed to train police to implement the immigration-enforcement law. She said she wants police to be prepared if the Court upholds the law. For more information, see the Washington Post.