Justice Dept Petitions SC to Review Arizona Law

[Pangloss]

Not the new one (yet). This is a recent but older Arizona law in which the state imposed more stringent penalties against employers of illegal aliens than what federal law does. The Obama administration's position is that it usurps their authority to enforce immigration law. The Court was originally asked to hear the case last fall, but it has not replied to the petition yet. This new filing today, and the particular way of phrasing their position, suggests that they wish the court to consider the case in light of the new law as well. If the court agreed with them then the new law could also be struck down, perhaps even by the same ruling.

 

I think this is an interesting case for another reason -- it highlights the growing confrontation between state and federal governments over ideological differences that lack the simple clarity of past interventions. I think this is further evidence that much of the mainstream left -- and the Obama administration -- does NOT, in fact, recognize the concerns of Arizonans, and would prefer instead that Arizona simply bend over and continue taking it in the rear.

 

Arizona and its citizens have a real beef with the federal government -- an absolutely valid concern, and a darn good reason to think they're not being listened-to. But instead of addressing that concern, the administration's plan seems to be an almost-meaningless gesture toward security (a few hundred more "observers") and a legal effort to remove laws that Arizona has put in place in its own territory. So much for sympathy and a ready ear.

 

Some background here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/28/AR2010052804319.html

[Pangloss]

The Justice Department filed another petition to the Supreme Court today on yet another Arizona law, clearly indicating a ramp-up to a challenge against the new Arizona immigration law. This time the law in question enforces penalties on Arizona businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants, initially with a suspension, then with business license revocation on subsequent offenses.

 

An interesting twist in this case is that this particular Arizona law was signed in 2007 by the governor of Arizona -- Janet Napolitano. Napolitano is now President Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security. Another interesting aspect here is that this particular law has already been upheld in federal court, in this case the famously left-leaning 9th Circuit court in San Francisco.

 

None of this seems to have anything to do with the Obama administration's oft-stated basis for objecting to the Arizona law, which is that it would be unfairly applied to hispanics. Perhaps that's because there's no real indication (other than speculation) that it would be.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/03/justice-dept-challenges-arizona-immigration-law-targeting-employers/