While on a Latin American trip, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a TV station in Quito, Ecuador that the Obama administration has decided to file suit against the state of Arizona for its recently passed, controversial anti-immigrant measure, SB 1070.
Secretary Clinton’s comments drew fire from Arizona Governor Jan Brewer who said, “If our government intends to sue our state to prevent illegal immigration enforcement, the least it can do in inform us before it informs the citizens of another nation.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ), which will be the agency responsible for filing the suit, “continues to review the law,” according to a spokesperson.
A report in the Washington Post indicates that a lawsuit does seem imminent. “‘There is no reason to think’ that Clinton’s assertion was wrong,” said an unnamed federal official quoted in the Post story.
Since signing the law in April, Governor Brewer’s actions have been criticized both nationally and internationally including by the White House. President Obama quickly spoke out about his concerns that the law would allow for racial profiling of Latinos. At that time, he directed DOJ to review the law for any federal violations.
In early June, a number of civil rights organizations, including the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), filed suit against Arizona and asked for an injunction to stop the enactment of the law that will go into effect at the end of July.
Recent Comments