la migra: July 2010 Archives

PHOENIX -- The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's tough new law targeting illegal immigrants. The government filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Phoenix on Tuesday.

The lawsuit argues that Arizona's new measure requiring state and local police to question and possibly arrest illegal immigrants during the enforcement of other laws usurps federal authority.

Tuesday's action has been expected for weeks. President Barack Obama has called the state law misguided. Supporters say it is a reasonable reaction to federal inaction on immigration.

"I applaud the Justice Department's decision to challenge Arizona's immigration law," said Chu. "This misguided policy is not only unconstitutional, it's un-American in the way it separates families and hurts real people. Arizona's law is an excessive - and obvious - reaction to the reality that, for far too long, the federal government has neglected its responsibility and authority over immigration policy. That's why Congress must prevent the emergence of other patchwork fixes to our broken system and pass comprehensive immigration reform this year."