Arizona immigration law: What takes effect Thursday and what's put on hold
The Associated Press, July 28, 2010
http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-arizona-immigration-ruling,0,7250814.story
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked the most controversial portions of Arizona's new law from taking effect on Thursday.
Here are the portions that Bolton put on hold:
* A requirement that police, while enforcing other laws, question people's immigration status if officers have reasonable suspicion they're in the country illegally.
* A requirement that authorities verify the status of all arrested people before their release from jail.
* A requirement that immigrants obtain or carry immigration registration papers.
* A ban on illegal immigrants from soliciting work in public places.
* A provision that allows for warrantless arrests when people commit crimes that can result in their deportation.
Here are the portions that take effect Thursday:
* A prohibition on state and local government agencies from restricting the enforcement of federal immigration law. Any Arizonan can file a lawsuit to challenge agencies that have a policy of restricting such enforcement.
* A ban on state and local agencies from restricting the sharing of information on people's immigration status for determining eligibility of a public benefit, verifying a claim of residence and determining whether an immigrant has complied with federal registration laws.
* A new addition to Arizona's nearly 5-year-old ban on immigrant smuggling that lets officers pull over drivers if officers have reasonable suspicion they have broken traffic laws.
* A ban on blocking traffic when people seek or offer day-labor services on streets.
* A prohibition on driving or harboring illegal immigrants in furtherance of their illegal presence. It also requires impoundment of vehicles when the driver is furthering the illegal presence of an illegal immigrant.
* Two additions to a 2007 state law prohibiting employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. Although one change established an entrapment defense for employers accused of knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, it opens up the door for police to use stings to catch violators. The other change requires employers to retain records of employment eligibility checks that state law already requires of new hires.
* The creation of a new state fund for the state police's immigrant squad and for reimbursing county jails for the costs of incarcerating illegal immigrants.
