WASHINGTON – Opponents of Arizona’s SB 1070 said Monday they have set aside millions of dollars to continue fighting the law, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision on the immigration law.
Far from being the last word on SB 1070, Monday’s ruling appears to be just another step in a fight that will likely continue for years.
A divided court rejected three parts of the law but refused to block a fourth part requiring local police, in some circumstances, to check the immigration status of suspects stopped for other crimes.
The so-called “papers, please” portion of the law is the one that most troubles opponents, who say it opens the door to racial profiling.
The American Civil Liberties Union said Monday it has set aside nearly $8.8 million for lawsuits against the “papers, please” provision of SB 1070 and any similar laws other states may try to implement.
“We will bring these lawsuits whenever and wherever they may come,” said Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU, in a conference call Monday.
While Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer claimed victory in the court’s decision, she was already bracing Monday for further lawsuits. The ruling “does not mark the end of our journey,” she said in a press release.
“Our critics are already preparing new litigation tactics in response to their loss at the Supreme Court,” Brewer said.
Romero said the court “kicked the can down the road” by leaving room for the remaining provision of SB 1070 to be decided at a lower-level court. But the ACLU said it is prepared to fight at the U.S. District Court in Arizona.
“We are moving forward with our existing lawsuit,” said Alessandra Soler, spokeswoman for ACLU Arizona. “We will demonstrate to the court that it is impossible to pursue without racial profiling.”
That case, overseen by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, should move more quickly now that the high court has released its decision, Soler said.
The Supreme Court did not address the constitutionality of the “papers, please” section, saying it was not ruling out the possibility of “other pre-emption and constitutional challenges to the law … as applied after it goes into effect.” But it did say that Bolton was incorrect to block that part of the law without showing that it, “in fact conflicts with federal immigration law.”
The case was returned to the circuit court, which is expected to return it to Bolton to lift the injunction. That process is expected to take four to five weeks, experts said.
Mariaelena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, said her organization and others are “fighting vigorously” to stop the court from lifting the injunction.
Hincapie pledged, along with ACLU and other civil rights groups in the conference call, to pursue any legal means necessary to defend those affected by the law if it is put into effect.
“It is simply un-American and will be struck down,” she said.
The court’s decision Monday opened a “floodgate” to further lawsuits and to racial profiling, Romero said.
Brewer insisted that the law will be enforced properly and that police officers have been trained regarding its implementation for the past two years.
“Law enforcement will be held accountable should this statute be misused in a fashion that violates an individual’s civil rights,” Brewer said.
Romero disagreed, saying that the law leaves an “open question” as to how it is possible to carry out the law without racially profiling and discrimination.
“She’s playing politics with our American values,” Romero said of Brewer.
Jesus Christo de Nogales posted at 9:49 am on Tue, Jun 26, 2012.
Obama is a true racist. Why does the US President hate the advancement of the standard of living for Mexico’s poor? Barrack Hussein Obama; how dare you deprive Mexico its young educated and motivated people? These illegal aliens now in the US are the only hope for Mexico and you want to keep them here in the US. They could start businesses, create jobs, and improve the standard of living for the poor people of Mexico. Yet you want to be selfish and deprive Mexico of these talented youth who could make life better for all the people of Mexico. SHAME ON YOU! Have you no compassion for the poor now living in Mexico? Gustavo Arellano, Steve Gallardo, Nicky Diaz Santillan, and La Raza need to insist that all these young educated and talented Mexicans be sent back to Mexico to help improve the standard of living for the poor Mexicans.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 9:55 am on Tue, Jun 26, 2012.
Gee, Cronkite Reporter....with all these millions of dollars to take Arizona to Court with......MAYBE....ARIZONA SHOULD JUST GIVE UP.
MAYBE ARIZONA GOVERNOR JAN BREWER SHOULD PULL DOWN THE ARIZONA STATE FLAG AND PUT UP A WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER.....OR BETTER YET TO SATISFY THE ..."ILLEGAL ALIEN AMNESTY ACTIVISTS"....MAYBE OUR GOVERNOR OF THE GREAT STATE OF ARIZONA SHOULD PUT UP THE ........MEXICAN FLAG........WOULD THAT SATISFY THE "HISPANIC....LA RAZA" PEOPLE ????
chuckles3 posted at 10:47 am on Tue, Jun 26, 2012.
Hmmm 8.8 million dollars. AZ should take an equal amount from programs(medicaid, welfare, etc) to help these 'targeted' minorities to fight the lawsuit.
If the ACLU wants to bully AZ, AZ should bully back.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 2:30 pm on Tue, Jun 26, 2012.
The ACLU is a terrorist organization. It doesn't use bombs or guns, but lawsuits and the media to rage war on the hard working white American for being just that.
All of you illegal loving liberals I hope you get victimized by the very element SB 1070 was trying to eliminate from this great State.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 3:21 pm on Wed, Jun 27, 2012.
ACLU, NAACP, Al Sharpton and that other idiot...Jesse Jackson are all threats to the American dream.