On July 6, 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a law suit in the District court of Arizona, challenging the constitutionality of SB-1070, passed by the Arizona legislator and signed by Governor Jan Brewer.  The brief filed by the DOJ basically asserts that SB-1070 interferes with the federal government’s authority to manage the country’s immigration laws.

The government’s brief reasons that if SB-1070 were to be implemented it would lead to a patchwork of state and local laws and regulations which would seriously impede the federal government’s role to enforce immigration laws of our country.   The brief also discusses the “increased burden” of the federal government in its enforcement of the federal laws by trying to manage these various local laws and regulations should the Arizona law be implemented.  And lastly the brief makes equal protection arguments, since the law is very likely to lead to racial profiling and harassment of anyone who does not look like a legal resident/U.S. citizen – (i.e. Latino!)

Many law enforcement officials joined in support of the federal government in this brief, including but not limited to Chiefs of Police of Phoenix and Tucson.  Like their brethren all across the U.S., they argued that victims of or witnesses to crimes would be less likely to contact or cooperate with law enforcement officials and that implementation of the law would require them to reassign officers from critical areas

such as violent crimes, property crimes, and home invasions. 

            It is true that there is a lot of frustration all around the country regarding our broken immigration system.  One thing we can all agree on is that our federal representatives have dismally failed at fixing the immigration mess.   

Although I clearly oppose the implementation of SB-1070, the very fact remains that the executive branch of our federal government has failed in its responsibility to faithfully execute our laws and regulations on immigration.  The Congressional branch of our government is equally at fault for failing to come up with a realistic fix for the immigration problem.  Their only solution appears to be the idiotic idea of erecting a Berlin-style wall along our southern border with Mexico.  The federal government’s failure on immigration is the reason why measures such as SB-1070 are gaining steam in other States. 

Although the DOJ’s move to sue Arizona is welcomed, it is not enough.  This is not the “Change” anyone of us voted for!

President Obama MUST deliver on his promise of a comprehensive immigration reform or this issue will be yet another grand failure on his part.

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