PHOENIX (AP) - A federal judge dealt a serious rebuke to
Arizona's immigration law on Wednesday when she put most of the
crackdown on hold just hours before it was to take effect.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton sets up a lengthy
legal battle as Arizona fights to enact the nation's
toughest-in-the-nation immigration law. Republican Gov. Jan Brewer
said the state likely appeal the ruling and seek to get the judge's
order overturned.
But for now, opponents of the law have prevailed: The provisions
that angered opponents will not take effect, including sections
that required officers to check a person's immigration status while
enforcing other laws.
The judge also delayed parts of the law that required immigrants
to carry their papers at all times, and made it illegal for
undocumented workers to solicit employment in public places - a
move aimed at day laborers. In addition, the judge blocked officers
from making warrantless arrests of suspected illegal immigrants.