U.S. high court appears to back Arizona on immigration

[No Elephants]

What's next? State power to declare war on foreign nations? State bankruptcy courts?

U.S. high court appears to back Arizona on immigration

Reuters) - Conservative justices who hold a majority on the U.S. Supreme Court appeared to endorse Arizona's immigration crackdown on Wednesday, rejecting the Obama administration stance that the federal government has sole power over those who illegally enter the United States.

During 80 minutes of oral arguments, the justices suggested by their questions and comments that states have significant latitude to adopt laws that discourage illegal immigrants from moving to and staying in the country.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, who often casts the deciding vote, referred to the "social and economic disruption" that states endure as a result of a flood of illegal immigrants and suggested that states such as Arizona have authority to act.

Arizona two years ago became the first of half a dozen U.S. states to pass laws aimed at driving illegal immigrants out, including requiring police to check the immigration status of anyone detained and suspected of being in the country illegally.

Much more at http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/25/us-usa-immigration-arizona-idUSBRE83O09N20120425

Excerpts from the Constitution of the United States

Article VI, Clause 2

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, ]b]shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.

Article I, Section 1.

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Article I, Section 8

The Congress shall have Power......

<snip>

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

"an... rule of Naturalization-singular. Not one federal rule, plus anywhere from 1 to 50 state rules.

"uniform" again, one federal rule, not one federal rule, plus anywhere from 1 to 50 different state rules

Now, can states decide how to punish theft, even if an immigrant is the perp? Sure, unless and until the feds exercise their right under the Constitutional provisions cited above to say otherwise.


As far as checking the ID of anyone suspected being in the country illegally, short of catching someone tunneling in from Mexico or Canada, how do you come to "suspect" someone of not having been naturalized unless you profile, which is illegal?

[DainBramaged]

1. Yup, keep 'em all out, stop everybody, make the state into a Fascist state

And they'll find out how quickly not only their economy declines from tourists deciding not to come, but from people moving because of the police state they created. JUST like Georgia is finding out.


And what will happen to all the menial labor they depend on? Oh wait, they won't get anyone to work for three dollars an hour.

[No Elephants]

2. Yep. Exactly why Dummya never interfered with "guest workers," no matter how much

Republicans who were not rich hated them: "Guest workers" help make the rich richer--and that's all that matters anymore.

[Gemini Cat]

3. They'll get people to work for less than three dollars a day.

They'll use convict labour.

[No Elephants]

4. Sadly, your're probably right.

[lbrtbell]

5. Look at it this way

I've never had a drop of alcohol in my life, yet if I drive past a police checkpoint, I can be stopped to see if I'm driving while drunk. Have I done something to make me a suspect? No. Am I being "profiled" because I'm out on New Year's Eve and I happen to be driving? Yes.

Also, if I drive to California, my car will be stopped at the state border so the authorities can look over my car and make sure I'm not transporting produce that might carry insects that could harm California's crops.

Going by what the Obama administration is arguing here, the local cops shouldn't be allowed to stop me, because the feds have authority over everything, and the Constitution prohibits illegal search. They have no right to search my car for fruit!! Damned profiling Nazis, thinking that everybody who isn't from California is carrying fruit in the back seat!!

The point is, if we're allowed to be randomly stopped to see if we're drunk, or even transporting fruit, why the hell shouldn't people be randomly stopped to see if they're here illegally? (And before anyone claims I've never known racial prejudice, I have very dark hair/eyes and am mistaken for being Hispanic if I happen to get suntanned.)

Anytime you're in a country that's not your own, even if traveling for pleasure, you ALWAYS keep your passport with you, no matter what race you are. So if you're randomly stopped in a place like Arizona, and have legit ID, it's not a problem, is it?

If I get stopped, I have a driver's license and SS# to prove I'm a citizen. Workers who are here legally have proper ID. The only people who would object to showing their ID are people who don't have it, i.e., people here illegally.

I welcome legal immigrants from any country. But if your first act in this country is to break the law by coming here illegally...that's kind of like breaking into someone's house and expecting them to let you stay there as a houseguest.

[No Elephants]

6. Perhaps you are being profiled, but you are NOT being profiled on

ground prohibited by the Constitution of the United States or by federal laws.

[classysassy]

7. Arizona the land of the loons.

The conservative court of clowns are destroying America and the Arizona loons are leading the parade.

[No Elephants]

8. FAT

Florida, Arizona, Texas.

The states I seem to notice most when a WTF story comes out.

I'm sure that's unfair. I'm sure other states are just as bad or worse. Still, FAT is what sticks in my mind.