Brewer asks judge to reject bid by critics to bar police from enforcing Ariz. immigration law
Saying opponents of Arizona’s immigration law are merely speculating with claims that it will lead to racial profiling, lawyers for Gov. Jan Brewer have asked a federal judge to reject a bid to prevent police from enforcing the statute’s most contentious section.
The Republican governor’s attorneys told U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton in a filing Friday that the law’s requirement that police check the immigration status of people they stop for violations other than immigration should be allowed to take effect.
Opponents have called this the “show me your papers provision” and say that it will inevitably lead to discrimination against Hispanics.
A coalition of civil rights, religious and business groups that oppose the law launched a fresh attack after the U.S. Supreme Court in late June upheld the section in question and rejected others.
The opponents asked Bolton to block enforcement of the provision before it takes effect, arguing that Latinos in Arizona would face systematic racial profiling and unreasonably long detentions if that section is enforced.
They also argued that special patrols, known as immigration sweeps, launched in recent years by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio show that the law’s requirement will disproportionately affect Latinos.
Read more at NBC Latino

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