Latin American countries will be closely watching the court battle over Arizona's new law, which began today in a Phoenix courtroom.
In Americas Quarterly, an article highlights the discussion in a courtroom where the U.S. deputy solicitor general, representing the Justice Department, will argue against a private lawyer defending Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Arizona.
At issue in the case, United States v. the state of Arizona and Gov. Janice K. Brewer, is the state's recently signed law requiring citizens to provide proof of citizenship and asking police officers to investigate the legal status of anyone they suspect of criminal activity.
Writer Jason Marczak point out that as the sending country for 30 percent of immigrants in the U.S., Mexico retains a vested interest in the outcome.
Mexico is one of many countries -- including Ecuador, El Salvador and Nicaragua -- fighting the Arizona law. At least seven countries have filed friends of the court briefs arguing against the law.
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act is supposed to go into effect one week from today.
The Washington Post has a list of the case's main players here.
Also today, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard told Congress that the country's Attorney General, Eric Holder, has the duty to challenge the state's law if he finds it unconstitutional, the AP reported.
Sources: Americas Quarterly, Washington Post, AP
Photo: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, phoenixnewtimes.com
1 comment:
from de Clermont - you state " recently signed law requiring citizens to provide proof of citizenship and asking police officers to investigate the legal status of anyone they suspect of criminal activity." As I understand it your description of the law is mis-written. Only after a person has been detained by the police for criminal activity, if they have reason to suspect that the person's resident status is legal may the AZ police request proof of such. This is like the people who said last year, and continue to say that the US is building military bases in Colombia. That is not true, they have move a couple hundred military personnel from Manta, Ecuador to Colombia.
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