New Haven (Conn.) Register, June 29, 2012

What’s left of a tough Arizona immigration law may not last long. The U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that the states cannot go beyond federal law in enforcing immigration law. The court ruled 5-3 that Arizona cannot authorize warrantless arrests of those where there is probable cause to believe a person could be deported. Further, undocumented immigrants’ failure to register with the federal government or hold a job cannot be made state crimes. The state law cannot exceed or pre-empt U.S. law and policy.