With Arizona’s anti-immigrant, anti-latino law SB 1070 scheduled to take effect the following day, a federal judge has put a temporary injunction on the “controversial” parts of the laws. The blocked portions of the law include “provisions that required immigrants to carry their papers…, banned illegal immigrants from soliciting employment in public places” and allowed “officers [to] mak[e] warrantless arrests of suspected illegal immigrants.”

On top of that, the Obama Justice Department is challenging the Arizona law’s constitutionality. The above court decision makes it look as though this law will be defeated.

As we have been saying for weeks, this law seems to be a political ploy to win support from people afraid for their jobs, and people who want to scapegoat others. Immigration is a very complicated issue, and this law did not even pretend to deal with any of the problems or benefits that come from immigrants, multiculturalism, trade, jobs, racism, economics, or, well, anything. Anyone who wants to talk seriously about new immigration laws, perspectives, or policy is welcome. This law does not do that.

Protesters are planning to make their voices heard in Arizona when the law goes into effect, and resistance will continue.

Photo: AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin