U.S. Department of Justice Challenges SB1070, Sues Arizona

We had been hearing rumors for the last few weeks. Then the decision was supposed to come down last week. But despite delays in making the annoucement, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) did the right thing today when it filed a lawsuit against SB1070, Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, on grounds that the the law illegally intrudes on federal authority. The lawsuit charges that Arizona has "crossed a constitutional line" and requests a preliminary injunction to stop the legislation from taking effect on July 29.

"Setting immigration policy and enforcing immigration laws is a national responsibility," said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in a DOJ press release today. "Seeking to address the issue through a patchwork of state laws will only create more problems than it solves.”

DOJ will have to get in line as many other lawsuits have already been brought by police officers, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, and other civil rights groups. Doesn't hurt their cases to have the federal government jump in. Plus, DOJ's filing asserts that the law would violate people's civil rights, leading to police harassment of U.S. citizens and foreigners.

This announcement comes after more than 30 jurisdictions across the nation, including Seattle, have enacted resolutions to condemn Arizona’s law, joined a national boycott of Arizona, or instituted travel bans. Similar resolutions are pending in at least 30 other jurisdictions nationwide. On the other hand, at least 20 state legislatures are considering bills similar to Arizona. But these efforts may fizzle out or be defeated - as they have in Massachusetts and Rhode Island - now that the Feds have thrown their weight around. 

This is a great first step. But it's a sign of the Obama administration playing solid defense. We need him to go on the offensive and follow through with what he said he supported in a major speech last week at American University - fix our broken immigration system by passing comprehensive immigration reform.

In a bizarre insight into Arizona politics regarding SB1070, local political blog Horses Ass tipped us off to this Arizona Guardian story which calls into question Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's defense of the bill that she signed.  Claiming how bad illegal immigration had become, she recently pointed out that bodies had been found in the Arizona desert beheaded. The Guardian checked with several county medical examiners and found zero evidence to support her claim. Previously, Brewer has made claims about how 87 percent of illegal border crossers have criminal records and the majority of them are drug couriers for Mexican crime syndicates. Again, neither claim could be substantiated.

Let's hope that DOJ's lawsuit stops any copycat legislation since many of the arguments propping up the draconian Arizona bill are flimsy, outrageous, and insulting.