FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS KEY PROVISIONS OF ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW

Today, Phoenix, Arizona United States District Court Judge Susan Bolton enjoined key sections of Arizona's controversial immigration law, SB 1070. The federal government sued Arizona in federal court trying to enjoin it from implementing the law, which among other reasons, focused on the separation of federal and state powers.
The judge in her decision acknowledged that the federal government has primary authority over making and enforcing immigration laws. While states have limited authority to enforce immigration laws, they cannot interfere with federal enforcement or undermine federal priorities. The judge also recognized the serious strain that the Arizona law would place on federal resources, which would detract from the federal government's ability to enforce immigration laws in other states and target resources toward serious criminals. The decision acknowledges the complex nature of immigration law and the harmful consequences of local police attempting to make immigration determinations.
Arizona is all but sure to appeal to the 9th Circuit. While it's not really a Georgia issue, many politicians recently discussed trying to get the same law enacted in Georgia, so this is a huge victory on that front -- if the law is going to be stricken down in Arizona, there is little chance to its passing in Georgia.

COLUMBUS GA TEA PARTY SUPPORTS ARIZONA RALLY

A Columbus rally to support Arizona was held last Sunday at the Columbus Government Center. They have handed out a list of Arizona businesses for the buycott -- the Tea Party's movement that encourages people to buy products from a specific source to show support. In this case they have shown solidarity with Arizona's new immigration law.
Hopefully the Arizona law will be repealed or at least injunction will be issue by the District court in the suit filed by the Justice Department against its implementation, which will take away from all the Arizona law talk in Georgia.

GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES TALK TOUGH ON IMMIGRATION

Georgia's republican candidates for governor are hitting the immigration issue left and right. Well, mostly to the right that is. At debates and forums, on their websites and in TV ads, the four top contenders in the GOP primary say they would support a tough immigration law like the one that recently passed in Arizona. All of them are also calling on state college administrators to make sure no illegal immigrants attend state schools.
Nathan Deal would put into law legislation similar to what passed in Arizona.
Karen Handel thinks we should check the legal status of students, and that those who are not here legally should be removed from school and should be sent back to their country of origin -- by whom she is not stating but maybe she is suggesting that the public universities now enforce our immigration laws?
Former state Sen. Eric Johnson earlier this month unveiled a proposal that would require elementary and secondary schools to collect citizenship data on enrolling students and also would require public hospitals to find out which patients are in the country legally. Apart from being unconstitutional, does he expect those people collecting the data to be able to understand the various legal statuses?
At least about this recent proposal Deal has said teachers and hospitals shouldn't be dragged into enforcement of immigration laws.
John Oxendine has said he will work with the state's next attorney general to sue the federal government to recoup prison and other costs incurred by the state for the detention of any illegal immigrant. His reasoning for that is that states wouldn't have to bear those costs if the federal government had effectively done its job of keeping illegal immigrants out. Such a measure is doomed to fail and will just cost us taxpayers more money.
All these candidates agree that Georgia needs to do more if the federal government does not enforce immigration laws. The justice department just sued Arizona over the implementation of the law, and we'll have to see how that goes.
What a sad state of affairs for Georgia and Georgians...