Deadline nears for advocates to block "show me your papers"

July 13, 2012

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Arizona's immigration law means police there will soon be required to check immigration status if they suspect illegal presence, unless litigants in a parallel lawsuit block that from happening. Jude Joffe-Block reports the deadline to request another preliminary injunction is this week.

JUDE JOFFE-BLOCK: The civil rights advocates who have filed a separate lawsuit challenging SB 1070 could ask the judge in their own case to block the so-called "show me your papers provision," on different grounds than the Supreme Court examined. Alessandra Soler is with the Arizona ACLU.

ALESSANDRA SOLER: Our case raises 4th Amendment arguments dealing with unlawful detention and the possibility that people are detained for long periods of time simply because of their immigration status.

JOFFE-BLOCK: Still, advocates will not necessarily try to block the provision from going forward. instead they could wait for it to take effect, and then challenge it once they document how it is being used in practice.

SOLER: So our attorneys are weighing both options right now.

JOFFE-BLOCK: And they have until the end of the week to decide.