Feds to Arizona: We Won't and You Can't

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Jun 18, 2010, 07:06 ET

Decision to Challenge Arizona Immigration Law is an Intimidation Tactic, Charges FAIR

WASHINGTON, June 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today's announcement that the federal government intends to sue Arizona to block implementation of a state law designed to discourage illegal immigration is an attempt to intimidate other states from following Arizona's lead, charged the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). While the Obama administration is prepared to go to court to prevent Arizona from enforcing immigration laws, the administration continues to do little to secure the border or protect the interests and security of Arizona residents.

"We expect that the law approved by the Arizona legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer will ultimately be upheld by the courts," predicted Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "In the meantime, the delay means more economic hardship and mounting public safety concerns for Arizonans living in a state that is one of the hardest hit by illegal immigration."

"From day one, this administration has been systematically dismantling immigration enforcement while laying the groundwork for massive amnesty," Stein continued. "Out of sheer necessity, Arizona citizens and lawmakers reacted and put together a sensible, legal enforcement approach. That seems to be unacceptable to this administration because they clearly don't want immigration enforcement performed at any level. Trying to tie up the bill in the courts is a transparent tactic to discourage other states from replicating the Arizona model."

The public in Arizona and across America have overwhelmingly supported S.B. 1070. Since Gov. Brewer signed the bill in April, as many as a dozen states have indicated that they might consider similar policies to enforce immigration laws in the absence of meaningful federal enforcement.

If the federal government succeeds in enjoining Arizona's law before it takes effect on July 29, Arizonans will be left essentially defenseless in the face of increasing costs of illegal immigration – now estimated at $2.5 billion annually in Arizona – and growing violence and instability along the U.S.-Mexico border. "Arizonans need federal involvement, not interference. People in the state and around the country would be delighted to have the federal government step in and use its resources to secure the border and to enforce laws against illegal immigration," Stein said.

The timing of the administration's decision to seek an injunction against implementation of S.B. 1070 coincides with increasing violence in Mexico that potentially threatens U.S. security. "The drug lords and criminal organizations that are now challenging the government in Mexico City for control of large swaths of the country will be emboldened by the Obama administration's efforts to enjoin S.B. 1070. Sections of the U.S. side of the border, including national park land, are already so dangerous that they are now closed to the American public because of life-threatening illegal alien activities. The drug cartels and human smugglers will undoubtedly see the administration's move as a further sign that they will be able to operate in this country with impunity," said Stein.

"In deciding to join the effort to block S.B. 1070 from taking effect, the Obama administration is once again putting its own political agenda ahead of its responsibilities to protect the nation and the interests of people who live along the border," Stein concluded.

SOURCE FAIR