Arizona's Immigration law: SB 1070 & HB 2162

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Protesters delay immigration sweep
by Associated Press (July 29th, 2010 @ 1:43pm)

PHOENIX -- Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio delayed the start of his 17th immigration and crime sweep by four hours Thursday because deputies assigned to the patrols were needed outside a downtown jail where hundreds of immigrant rights supporters were rallying.

News of protesters blocking the jail's entrance prompted Arpaio to interrupt a press conference that was intended to kick off the sweep.

Arpaio was heard telling a sheriff's official in a phone call to arrest anyone who resists his deputies.

He said the sweep will definitely be launched in the late afternoon.

The protesters were rallying in opposition to Arizona's new immigration law.

A judge put the most controversial elements of the law on hold, but allowed other portions to take effect.

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Most protesters not from Arizona
by KTAR Newsroom (July 29th, 2010 @ 6:21pm)

PHOENIX - Watching television, you'd think thousands of Arizonans have flooded streets to protest SB 1070. But, the reality is most of those caught by TV cameras are from somewhere else. And, many of them are union workers.

Nearly a dozen chartered carrying immigrant-rights activists left Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for the ride to Phoenix. The buses carried nearly 600 union members.

Several of those arrested in downtown Phoenix Thursday morning were from churches in Colorado and elsewhere.

KTAR reporters talked to dozens of those participating in civil disobedience and we asked them where they were from. The reporters heard cities like Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and Denver.

The new law taking effect Thursday was designed to crack down on illegal immigration but critics say it encourages racism against Hispanics.

Lakesha Harrison says she has heard about the raids and families being torn apart, saying it is not American.

"This is a land of immigrants and everybody here should be welcomed as immigrants and should be helped to figure out a way to become U.S. Citizens," she said.

A federal judge in Phoenix on Wednesday issued a temporary injunction delaying the most contentious provisions, including a requirement that immigrants carry their papers and that police check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.

Arizona's governor says she'll appeal the ruling.

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TN lawmakers hail Arizona immigration law
by Associated Press (July 30th, 2010 @ 6:36pm)

PHOENIX - A delegation of Republican legislators from Tennessee visited their Arizona counterparts Friday, hailing Arizona's immigration law and saying they plan a version of their own.

The Tennessee lawmakers meet with backers of the Arizona law before presenting its chief sponsor, Sen. Russell Pearce, with a Tennessee resolution commending Arizona for its work.

Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro says the Tennessee version being drafted for consideration in 2011 will use the Arizona law as a starting point but be broader. He didn't provide specifics.

Rep. Joe Carr of Lascassas says work on the Tennessee legislation won't be paused because of a federal judge's order Wednesday blocking implementation of parts of it one day before the rest took effect.

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Arizona finds itself in the news and in song
by KTAR Newsroom (July 30th, 2010 @ 2:53pm)

PHOENIX - While bashing Arizona has been a popular pastime among musicians lately, one has taken to Youtube to defend the state - sort of.

Comedian Brian Haner has a song on the site called Arizona, a three minute ditty talking about the state's tough immigration laws.

"I'm going to move to Arizona where they enforce the law," he proclaims in an early verse.

Haner comments on finding jobs in the food industry, cleaning dishes and serving meals.

"Don't be surprised when I take your order and I speak English as good as you," he proclaims.

In the video Haner is seen tricking a police officer and avoiding a ticket, and also takes mild shots at President Obama and his administration.

"The guy we elected won fair and square, we've got no one to blame but ourselves," he sings, "but we can change all that when we vote in 2012."

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Lady GaGa rambles against SB1070

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SB1070 protesters desecrate US flag
by KTAR.com (August 2nd, 2010 @ 2:30pm)

Last week's SB1070 protest brought people to Phoenix from across the country, including immigrant-rights activists bussed in from California.

What were they doing in Phoenix?

Some were desecrating the U.S. flag during the national anthem. Messages spray-painted onto the flag included: "Impeach Brewer" and "Deport Arpaio."

WATCH the video below:



A watered-down version of Arizona's controversial new immigration law went into effect last Thursday after a federal judge put most of it on hold.

Arizona has appealed, with Gov. Jan Brewer saying, "the citizens of Arizona are suffering irreparable harm in terms of their health, safety and welfare every day that the injunction remains in force."

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Trace Adkins Tells Crowd to 'Blow' Him If They Don't Like Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Posted by Adam Borowitz on Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 1:34 PM
The Phoenix New Times reports that Trace Adkins shared a few words about SB 1070 at his concert in Phoenix last night:


Well, it looks like Lady Gaga's not the only one who can't keep her mouth shut about political issues during concerts. At last night's Toby Keith show at Cricket Wireless Pavilion in Phoenix, Trace Adkins decided to let the Valley know just how he weighed in on the whole SB 1070 issue. He not only expressed his support for the controversial immigration law, but he also told anyone who doesn't like Sheriff Joe Arpaio to blow him.

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Idaho's gov backs Ariz. in immigration lawsuit
by Associated Press (September 3rd, 2010 @ 1:45pm)

BOISE, Idaho - Idaho is backing Arizona's law meant to curb illegal immigration.

Gov. C.L. ``Butch'' Otter said Friday he's filed a court brief backing Arizona's appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Otter says states should be able to concurrently enforce federal immigration laws, provided they don't create new categories of aliens.

Arizona's law would generally require officers enforcing other measures to check immigration status of people they suspect are illegal immigrants.

There are several lawsuits challenging the measure, including cases filed by the U.S. Justice of Department and civil rights groups.

In July, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton put key parts of Arizona's law on hold.

Idaho says it is now among 11 states that have joined in an appeal of Bolton's ruling filed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

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Wyo. Man Donates $1.5M to Defend Immigration Law
Updated: Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 7:23 PM MDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 7:23 PM MDT

JONATHAN J. COOPER & PAUL DAVENPORT, Associated Press Writers

PHOENIX (AP) — A Wyoming man has given more than $1.5 million to help defend Arizona's controversial immigration enforcement measure in court, Gov. Jan Brewer's office said Thursday.

The contribution from Timothy Mellon of Saratoga is the largest to Brewer's defense fund, which has amassed more than $3.6 million from 41,000 donors nationwide. Mellon could not immediately be reached for comment.

Mellon's Aug. 18 donation was 300 times more than the next-largest contribution of $5,000 — an amount donated by at least four people, records show.

The latest legal bills released Thursday show Brewer's office has spent more than $440,000 for the first two months of defending the law.

The bills, obtained through a public records request by The Associated Press, are for work performed through June by Phoenix law firm Snell & Wilmer. They do not cover July hearings in federal court before a judge Susan Bolton temporarily blocked enforcement of the law's most controversial provisions.

Brewer has appealed Bolton's order to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Her office is defending the state against seven lawsuits challenging Arizona's law, including cases filed by the U.S. Justice of Department, civil rights groups and two police officers.

Bolton has dismissed two of the cases.

"The fees incurred have been, and will continue to be, sizeable," Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman said, noting there have been more than 900 legal filings totaling more than 12,000 pages.

The invoices are heavily redacted and don't reveal details about the state's defense strategy or lawyers' thoughts. They show Snell & Wilmer attorneys in frequent contact with the governor's in-house lawyer and occasionally talking with Kris Kobach, a law professor who helped draft the measure and is running for secretary of state in Kansas.

Attorneys met with Brewer and state Sen. Russell Pearce, the measure's chief sponsor, on June 10.

In June, lawyers billed the state between $225 and $450 per hour for more than 1,100 hours of work at a cost of $363,000.

That work follows $77,000 for 241 hours of work in the last 12 days of May.

Arizona's law would generally require officers enforcing other measures to check the immigration status of people they suspect are illegal immigrants.

Border Security & Immigration Defense Fund: keepazsafe.com

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States file brief supporting Arizona immigration law
by Associated Press (September 4th, 2010 @ 9:34am)

PHOENIX — Nearly a dozen states have filed a legal brief in support of Arizona's controversial immigration law.

A"friend of the court" brief filed with the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday argues that a federal judge was wrong to block implementation of key provisions of the law.

The brief submitted by Michigan Attorney General Michael Cox argues that the judge used the wrong legal standard to rule on the U.S. Justice Department's request for a preliminary injunction.

It also says the judge erred in ruling that the law interferes with the executive branch's immigration enforcement priorities.

Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia joined in the filing.