The U.S. Department of Justice has officially filed a lawsuit attacking Arizona's tough new immigration law, CNN reported.
Our Orange County immigration attorneys and Costa Mesa immigration lawyers applaud the government's action even as we continue to point to the federal government's inaction in passing comprehensive immigration reform as the primary reason for Arizona's aggressive immigration stance.
The Arizona law permits law enforcement to seek identification from those suspected of being in the country illegally and to detain those in violation and turn them over for deportation proceedings. States bordering Arizona, including Texas and California, are bracing for an influx of immigrants from Arizona as hardworking, law-abiding families are uprooted by fear and intimidation.
On Tuesday, the federal government also asked for an injunction to stop enforcement of the Arizona law, which took effect last month. The government argues that the state law is invalid because it circumvents federal authority when it comes to issues dealing with immigration.
"In our constitutional system, the power to regulate immigration is exclusively vested in the federal government," the brief said. "The immigration framework set forth by Congress and administered by federal agencies reflects a careful and considered balance of national law enforcement, foreign relations, and humanitarian concerns -- concerns that belong to the nation as a whole, not a single state."
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer immediately went on the attack.
"Today's filing is nothing more than a massive waste of taxpayer funds," Brewer said. "These funds could be better used against the violent Mexican cartels than the people of Arizona."
The federal court filing argues that the U.S. Constitution does not permit states to develop a patchwork of policies throughout the country. "The State of Arizona has crossed this constitutional line," the government argues.
The brief argues that the Arizona law disrupts federal law enforcement priorities and poses a threat to national security and public safety. The sheriff of Santa Cruz County in Arizona and several officials from the Department of Homeland Security have voiced support for the federal government's quest to stop the measure from being enforced.
In a speech last week, President Obama prodded Congress to begin working on comprehensive immigration reform and said the majority of Americans are in favor of a measure that would resolve the status of an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.
The Los Angeles immigration attorneys at HOWARD | NASSIRI offer confidential appointments to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-872-5925 or contact us through this website.
