Photo from www.myfoxphoenix.com

Federal Judge Blocks Arizona’s Immigration Law – U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton set the immigration law for a lengthy legal battle, just before it was to be made into law.  The State of Arizona will likely seek to overturn the law.

But what is the problem with the law itself?  All it did was reflect the already present federal provisions against illegal immigration.  For example, the federal law (TITLE 8 > CHAPTER 12 > SUBCHAPTER II > Part IX > § 1357) under “Powers of immigration officers and employees”, that any officer or employee of the federal government is authorized, without warrant, to interrogate any person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or to remain in the United States.

Similarly, the Arizona law says “any lawful contact made by a law enforcement … where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person, except if the determination may hinder or obstruct an investigation.”

And its the same with the rest of the law.  All that the Arizona law is going to do is give state authorities the same powers as federal authorities, in regards to chance encounters with people suspected of being illegal.  And, it seems to be more cautious then the federal law.