The Supreme Court hears opening arguments in controversial Arizona immigration law
The United States Supreme Court heard the opening arguments in a case against Arizona’s controversial immigration law. No, not that controversial immigration law, but rather an immigration law that was signed by then governor Janet Napolitano. While governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano signed an immigration reform law that would crack down on businesses which knowingly hire illegal immigrants. This law would also require businesses in Arizona to use the federal government’s E-Verify program in order to assure that the people they hire are in this country legally.
When the issue of comprehensive immigration reform is put forward there is always a dispute about whether illegal aliens should be targeted or if the companies which hire them should be targeted instead. Democrats tend to believe that the big businesses which hire illegal aliens in order to make a higher profit should be the starting point on immigration reform, while ignoring the illegal aliens themselves. This is what Janet Napolitano tried to do as governor. She was giving the illegals a pass while punishing the businesses that hire them.
I believe that immigration reform should encompass both finding the illegal aliens and deporting them as well as punishing companies which knowingly hire them, but that is not the point of this post.
The ACLU took offense to Janet Napolitano’s immigration law and promptly filed suit against the state, and that suit has now made it to the Supreme Court. Barack Obama also opposes this immigration law and has assigned one of its best litigators to argue the case in front of the Supreme Court.
It is obvious that the only immigration law that the Obama regime will support is a law which would grant illegal aliens amnesty–anything short of that will be challenged in court, and we are seeing the proof of this with this case.
But there is one aspect of this story that is very interesting; and that is the reason that Janet Napolitano gave when signing this bill in 2007 for the need of Arizona to pass immigration reform. She said:
It is now abundantly clear that Congress finds itself incapable of coping with the comprehensive immigration reforms our country needs.” In the same 2007 statement, Napolitano said the flow of illegal immigrants into Arizona was “due to the constant demand of some employers for cheap, undocumented labor
She claimed that the federal government was not able to properly cope with the issue of immigration so she was forced to take matters into her own hands. Does this sound familiar? This is the same argument that Jan Brewer and supporters of the law have been using for the need to implement the most recent immigration law in Arizona which allows police officers to check the status of people who have committed a crime to see if they are in this country legally. Now Janet Napolitano is a member of the federal government and she has spoken out against Arizona’s new immigration law–suddenly she doesn’t see things in quite the same light.
The irony was not lost on Jan Brewer:
“When she was governor, she made it very clear that she signed the bill because the federal government was not doing their job, and that’s exactly what the problem and issue is,” Brewer said. “I guess it all…depends on where your moccasins are setting (as) to what your reasoning is
Jan Brewer is confident that Arizona will win this challenge and if the state does in fact win it, the state will hold an even stronger position when Arizona’s latest immigration law works its way to the Supreme Court. If the court rules that it is illegal to hire an illegal alien Arizona’s position will be strengthened, but if the court rules against Arizona it will all but guarantee there is no chance the court will rule that a police officer can check the immigration status of a person that has already committed a crime.
This is the opening salvo in the fight against illegal immigration and it bears watching closely. If the Supreme Court rules that a business cannot be held accountable for hiring illegal aliens and then follows that ruling with a decision that says a police officer cannot check the status of a person we stand no chance at stopping the illegal invasion.
America's Watchtower 
I think it’s just a matter of time before the borders-and thus the United States is no more. There are just too many people in THIS COUNTRY that want it to happen. How long can it be delayed?
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I am afraid that you are right, and the problem is these people are on both sides of the aisle. This is probably a losing fight, but we have to keep fighting.
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If we lose, we’ll lose a large chunk of the SW. Which will promptly turn into a steaming pile of fail. Perhaps then the left will learn.
Right!
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They never will learn, will they? Our country is slipping away and the more active the left is the quicker it will slip away.
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I am more hopeful on this one. Sotomayer is out of the vote on this one. That leaves us with 4 conservative supremo’s. My understanding is then it stands. This may be one of our victories. We had a good day also in D.C. yesterday. Republicans held firm except for Snowe. Other than the chatter of a compromise on the tax bill this morning, I see a ripple of a turn of the tide.
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I did not realize that Sotomayer is out of this one, this is great news!
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There certainly is a double standard in play here. We should expect nothing less than some of the people involved.
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It really isn’t surprising, but it is still telling the way these officials are so willing to change their opinions to fit their current circumstances.
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I did not know that something signed into law by Big Sis was at the Supreme Court. Good find.
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It is ironic at the role reversal we are seeing in this case, isn’t it?
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It is but I read a story on the AP last night and guess what… only current Gov. Brewer was mentioned!
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HA! I guess they are going to try to make it sound like this was Gov. Brewer’s law also to spare Napolitano the embarrassment. Typical media!
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Napolitano is an idiot and beyond hope. I would prefer that businesses didn’t hire illegal immigrants but If the Federal government shows no sing of caring how many cross our border every day, why should the businessman care. I read recently that there are more than 200 illegals entering Arizona every day . OVER 200 FOR CRYINNG OUT LOUD. And that’s just Arizona. It’s only reasonable that any country should want to control their boarders. Why not the US.
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It is interesting that the left does not want to punish those that are coming here to “do the work Americans won’t do” but then when someone hires an illegal they are the ones who get punished. I am mot defending people who hire illegals, but the left is trying to have it both ways.
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Exactly. They want it both ways. But isn’t ironic, they don’t want to stop the illegals from coming in but once they are here they don’t want anyone to hire them. Seems like warped logic to me.
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It certainly is warped logic! The Democrats are using this issue to punish the rich once again, they blame the businesses for the fact that people sneak in illegally while ignoring the fact that these people do not belong here. I think this is part of their anti-capitolism beliefs. They will do whatever it takes to make the rich pay.
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I am grateful for your site and the way you simplify issues for general consumption. I am particularly grateful for when you send information specific to Mass in the middle of the night! Thank you for all.
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