Arizona law PRE-EMPTED by Fed authority

Supreme Court mostly rejects Arizona immigration law

By Tom Cohen and Bill Mears, CNN

updated 1:46 PM EDT, Mon June 25, 2012

Fed up with illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico -- and what they say is the federal government's inability to stop it -- legislators in Arizona passed the tough immigration law. The federal government sued, saying that Arizona overreached.  

At issue was whether states have any authority to step in to regulate immigration matters or whether that is the exclusive role of the federal government. In dry legal terms, this constitutional issue is known as pre-emption.

During an April hearing, Paul Clement, lawyer for Arizona, told the high court the federal government has long failed to control the problem, and that states have discretion to assist in enforcing immigration laws.

But the Obama administration's solicitor general, Donald Verrilli, strongly countered that assertion, saying immigration matters are under the federal government's exclusive authority and state "interference" would only make matters worse.

For complete story, click here.

[posted by prof montejano]

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