ImmigrationArizona police preparing to begin implementing SB 1070
Anticipating at least a partially favorable decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration bill, Governor Jan Brewer has issued an executive order instructing police officers across the state to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the law and prepare to begin to implement it; the Court decision is expected before the end of June
Arizona police preparing for SB1070 enforcement // Source: jumiesamsudin.com
Arizona governor Jan Brewer, anticipating a favorable ruling by the Supreme Court on the state’s tough, and controversial, immigration law, has issued an executive order instructing police around the state to familiarize themselves with the details of the law.
Brewer also ordered the distribution of training materials prepared to help police understand the law and its limits. The Washington Times reports that the materials, created by a state board that sets standards for all law enforcement, include a DVD designed to help police understand the circumstances which would let them question someone about immigration status.
In her executive order, Brewer said the materials need to “make clear that an individual’s race, color or national origin alone cannot be grounds for reasonable suspicion to believe any law has been violated.”
The Arizona law, known as SB 1070, requires law enforcement to check the immigration status of individuals police officers have encountered while performing their police duties and about whom they have reasonable suspicion are in the United States illegally.
The Obama administration took Arizona to court, arguing that immigration matters should be dealt with by the federal government. The administration, citing the doctrine of preemption, said that allowing states to fashion their own policies on immigration would create an unwieldy patchwork system of different immigration laws around the country. In their questions, the Supreme Court justices appeared to distinguish between what Arizona intends to do and what the federal government should do: they appeared to imply that asking individuals about their immigration status – and detaining them and calling the federal authorities – would not violate the doctrine of preemption because the federal government, receiving a report about an illegal immigrant being detained in Arizona, may still decide not to act on the report.
The judges are expected to issue their decision before the end of June.
“The governor thought it was an appropriate time to revisit that and make certain law enforcement across the state of Arizona is as prepared as possible for the partial or full implementation of this law,” said Matt Benson, a spokesman for the governor.
