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Arizona's illegal immigration law directs police to check the status of individuals during a legal stop or detention. It's the latest chapter in the battle between the state and the Obama administration over which level of government has authority regarding immigration policy.

Law enforcement authorities in Arizona are now required to check the immigration status of individuals they suspect are in the country illegally According to a federal judge’s ruling Wednesday, the provision in the state’s immigration law is constitutional, leaving open the possibility of a legal challenge by potential victims.

The Wednesday ruling affirms a decision in June by the US Supreme Court regarding the provision, which critics have called “show me your papers.” The provision is expected to be enacted within days. Only until then will it be tested, which could potentially lead to legal challenges.

“On paper, they’re not discriminating. The only way to not discriminate is to ask everyone you pull over for proof of citizenship,” Mr. Innis-Jiménez says.

Signed into law in April 2010, the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act – Arizona SB 1070 – became the template for other states, including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah, in how to crack down on illegal immigration.

The other states have adopted variations of the law, which, among other measures, requires alien residents to carry documents at all time and forces all aliens over the age of 14 to register with federal authorities.

While the provision regarding document checks was upheld, the justices struck down three other provisions of the law, including a ban on illegal immigrants soliciting work in public places and the requirement that illegal immigrants carry documentation with them at all times or face misdemeanor charges.

Judge Bolton’s ruling Wednesday includes a preliminary injunction against another provision of the law that makes it a crime to transport, shield, or harbor an illegal immigrant in Arizona.

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Public attitudes about immigration in the U.S. were heavily influenced in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. After the attacks, 52% of Americans believed that immigration was a good thing overall for the U.S., down from 62% the year before, according to a 2009 Gallup poll.[50] A 2008 Public Agenda survey found that half of Americans said tighter controls on immigration would do "a great deal" to enhance U.S. national security. Harvard political scientist and historian Samuel P. Huntington argued in Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity that a potential future consequence of continuing massive immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico, might lead to the bifurcation of the United States.Wiki

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