A coalition of civil-rights groups has asked a federal court to prevent enforcement of the single contested provision of Arizona’s immigration law that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, reports the Associated Press. The coalition, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Immigration Law Center, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund argues that statements by Arizona law-enforcement officers since the high court’s ruling June 25 indicate the provision of the law will be carried out in a way that lengthens the time people are detained by officers.
That extended time, required to verify a person’s immigration status, will violate the U.S. Constitution, the groups say. They want an injunction to stop the provision from taking effect or, in the short term, a temporary restraining order to give them time to block the provision permanently. Te Supreme Court upheld a U.S. District Court’s injunction on three of four contested sections of the law. It reinstated one that requires an officer to make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of a person stopped, detained, or arrested if there’s reasonable suspicion the person is in the country illegally.