Challengers of a landmark immigration law in Arizona have failed to demonstrate that the statute would be enforced differently by the police for the Latino community than for other ethnicities, a judge has declared in a ruling that slapped down the final challenge to the law.
The case could now come to an end as a result of the ruling made on Friday by US District Court Judge Susan Bolton, who upheld provisions that others appeals courts had previously ruled on. This represents a major victory for those backing the law, which was given initial approval back in 2010. Bolton upheld the contentious requirement that police should be able to inquire about the immigration status of suspected undocumented immigrants while in the process of upholding other laws. This requirement was challenged in the lower courts despite already having been upheld in the Supreme Court.
Bolton wrote that those opposed to the law had not shown any evidence to back up their claims that SB1070 would be enforced differently for Latinos by state law enforcement officials than for people of other races or ethnicities. It is uncertain at this time whether those against the law will appeal against Bolton’s decision.
The judge’s ruling was applauded by former state senator Russell Pearce. “She made it very clear the law was written very carefully not to be a race issue,” Pearce claims. “It’s not a racial law.” Bolton did however permanently block a requirement that banned individuals from obstructing traffic when offering or seeking day labor services.