04/30/2010
WASHINGTON — A team of top government lawyers has quietly begun studying legal strategies for President Barack Obama's administration to mount a challenge to Arizona's new law on illegal immigration, including the filing of a federal lawsuit against the state or joining a suit brought by others who believe the bill unfairly targets Latinos.
President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. have denounced the law, leading to expectations that the administration will take action soon. Obama said Wednesday that the law, which allows police to demand proof of citizenship, threatens the "core values that we all care about."
Attorneys from the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security are examining legal options and hope to make suggestions by mid-May, before the Arizona law takes effect sometime in midsummer, officials said.
Adding urgency to the process, the White House voiced concern that other states may adopt laws like Arizona's. A Utah lawmaker already has proposed such a measure there.
Grounds for a possible U.S. challenge could include charges that the Arizona measure unlawfully pre-empts the federal government's role in securing the country's borders, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. Or, federal officials could file a civil rights challenge, claiming that the law encourages racial profiling.
The legal deliberations come as the Obama administration and congressional Democrats hash out plans to overhaul federal immigration laws. Democrats on Thursday outlined their own approach, proposing that benchmarks for securing borders be followed by steps to allow undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.
The administration believes that a court challenge in Arizona would send a message that the state should reverse course, and that other states should not follow Arizona's lead.
"In the absence of some sort of coherent national policy, there's always going to be an impetus for this kind of thing — particularly in states that are border states or near the border where there's been a great deal of activity," White House senior adviser David Axelrod said in an interview.
Asked if the White House is considering steps to head off similar state legislation, Axelrod said: "The best thing we can do is to develop and enforce a rational, thoughtful, consistent immigration policy that holds everybody accountable in the system. And that's what we're working toward."
Yet, Obama expressed pessimism over prospects for passing a sweeping immigration overhaul this year. Speaking Wednesday to reporters on Air Force One, the president conceded that Congress may not have the "appetite immediately to dive into another controversial issue."
Still, Senate Democrats are eager to show they have not dropped the matter. Under pressure from Latino advocates, Senate Democrats held a news conference Thursday to outline a new blueprint for immigration overhaul, combining border security with steps to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S.
the democRATS just don't stop - but you know you just can't fix stupid
WASHINGTON — A team of top government lawyers has quietly begun studying legal strategies for President Barack Obama's administration to mount a challenge to Arizona's new law on illegal immigration, including the filing of a federal lawsuit against the state or joining a suit brought by others who believe the bill unfairly targets Latinos.
President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. have denounced the law, leading to expectations that the administration will take action soon. Obama said Wednesday that the law, which allows police to demand proof of citizenship, threatens the "core values that we all care about."
Attorneys from the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security are examining legal options and hope to make suggestions by mid-May, before the Arizona law takes effect sometime in midsummer, officials said.
Adding urgency to the process, the White House voiced concern that other states may adopt laws like Arizona's. A Utah lawmaker already has proposed such a measure there.
Grounds for a possible U.S. challenge could include charges that the Arizona measure unlawfully pre-empts the federal government's role in securing the country's borders, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. Or, federal officials could file a civil rights challenge, claiming that the law encourages racial profiling.
The legal deliberations come as the Obama administration and congressional Democrats hash out plans to overhaul federal immigration laws. Democrats on Thursday outlined their own approach, proposing that benchmarks for securing borders be followed by steps to allow undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.
The administration believes that a court challenge in Arizona would send a message that the state should reverse course, and that other states should not follow Arizona's lead.
"In the absence of some sort of coherent national policy, there's always going to be an impetus for this kind of thing — particularly in states that are border states or near the border where there's been a great deal of activity," White House senior adviser David Axelrod said in an interview.
Asked if the White House is considering steps to head off similar state legislation, Axelrod said: "The best thing we can do is to develop and enforce a rational, thoughtful, consistent immigration policy that holds everybody accountable in the system. And that's what we're working toward."
Yet, Obama expressed pessimism over prospects for passing a sweeping immigration overhaul this year. Speaking Wednesday to reporters on Air Force One, the president conceded that Congress may not have the "appetite immediately to dive into another controversial issue."
Still, Senate Democrats are eager to show they have not dropped the matter. Under pressure from Latino advocates, Senate Democrats held a news conference Thursday to outline a new blueprint for immigration overhaul, combining border security with steps to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S.
the democRATS just don't stop - but you know you just can't fix stupid
Do they really think that hair dye & bonde wigs will work if their names are Juanita, Carlos, Jose', Carmelita, etc. & they grease their hair.