Obama administration’s immigration law vindicated

The Obama administration’s high-stakes move to challenge that Arizona tough law to tackle immigration was vindicated on Wednesday by a federal judge. The judge has also called the administration’s policy to assert the primary authority of the federal government over state lawmakers in matters of immigration
Judge Susan R. Bolton gave the ruling in a lawsuit against Arizona brought on July 6 by the Justice Department. The Arizona law was different from hundreds of statutes adopted by states in recent years for the purpose of discouraging the illegal immigrants. The statute says that it is a state crime for immigrants if they fail to carry documents proving their legal status. The stature also requires state police officers to ensure the immigration status of anyone they detain. There should be a “reasonable suspicion” the person is an illegal immigrant.

However, it is not a crime to not to have the immigration documents, though the mere fact of being present without legal immigration status is a civil violation under federal law. Judge Bolton rejected that argument of Arizona’s lawyers that the statute was written to complement federal laws.