A federal judge blocked major portions of S1070, keeping the core provisions of the landmark illegal immigration law off the books while a handful of lawsuits work their way through the court system.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton on July 28 issued an injunction against sections of the law that require police officers to determine the immigration status of people they suspect are in the country illegally and make it a state crime to be in the United States illegally. Bolton also blocked provisions that allow police the make warrantless arrests and prohibit illegal immigrants from seeking work.
The judge did not halt S1070 in its entirety, and other provisions will go into effect on July 29 as scheduled. But the sections that require police to inquire about immigration status and make it a misdemeanor offense to be in the country illegally were the heart of S1070, effectively keeping the controversial law off the books.
