By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Arizona legislators are setting aside Gov. Jan Brewer's suggestion that lawmakers consider changing parts of the state's controversial immigration law.

Brewer on July 30 floated the idea of making "tweaks" to the law shortly after a federal judge blocked implementation of numerous provisions. Legislative aides said Tuesday the idea has been shelved, at least temporarily, mainly because of the state's pending appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Everyone agreed ... that it would have been acting in haste to act at this point," said Victor Riches, chief of staff for the House's Republican majority.

There's still a possibility that lawmakers could take up the issue in the future but nothing is in the works now, Riches added.

Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brewer didn't suggest specific changes to the law but expressed a willingness to consider changes in response to the preliminary injunction issued July 28 by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Arizona legislators are setting aside Gov. Jan Brewer's suggestion that lawmakers consider changing parts of the state's controversial immigration law.

Brewer on July 30 floated the idea of making "tweaks" to the law shortly after a federal judge blocked implementation of numerous provisions. Legislative aides said Tuesday the idea has been shelved, at least temporarily, mainly because of the state's pending appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Everyone agreed ... that it would have been acting in haste to act at this point," said Victor Riches, chief of staff for the House's Republican majority.

There's still a possibility that lawmakers could take up the issue in the future but nothing is in the works now, Riches added.

Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brewer didn't suggest specific changes to the law but expressed a willingness to consider changes in response to the preliminary injunction issued July 28 by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Tea party groups converged on a remote section of the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday to show support for Arizona's controversial immigration law and hear from more than a dozen conservative speakers, many of them candidates running for office in crowded Republican primaries.

Several speaking to the crowd of more than 400 demanded Congress and President Barack Obama devote more resources to increase border security in remote areas like the site of Sunday's demonstration southeast of Tucson.

"We are going to force them to do it, because if they don't, we will not stop screaming," said former state Sen. Pam Gorman, one of 10 Republicans vying for an open congressional seat in north Phoenix. Gorman carried a handgun in a holster slung over her shoulder as she mingled with demonstrators.

Obama on Friday signed a bill directing $600 million more to securing the U.S.-Mexico border — money that will pay for hiring 1,000 more Border Patrol agents along with customs agents, communications equipment and expanded use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

Records show that about 47,000 people have been removed or deported from the U.S. after the Homeland Security Department sifted through 3 million sets of fingerprints taken from bookings at local jails.

About one-quarter of those kicked out of the country did not have criminal records, according to government data obtained by immigration advocacy groups that have filed a lawsuit. The groups plan to release the data Tuesday and provided early copies to The Associated Press.

As issue is a fingerprint-sharing program known as Secure Communities that the government says is focused on getting rid of the "worst of the worst" criminal immigrants from the U.S.

Immigration advocates say that the government instead spends too much time on lower-level criminals or non-criminals.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement divides crimes into three categories, with Level 1 being the most serious. Most of those deported committed Level 2 or 3 crimes or were non-criminals, a monthly report of Secure Communities statistics shows.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

In Arizona, the shooting death of a rancher blew the lid off simmering anger over border security and helped solidify support for a tough new immigration law. A similar eruption threatens in Virginia following the death of a Catholic nun in a car accident involving a man in the country illegally and accused of drunken driving.

The Benedictine Sisters of Virginia tried to discourage using the death of Sister Denise Mosier as a "forum of the illegal immigration agenda" and pleaded for a focus on "Christ's command to forgive."

"The sisters' mission is peace and love," said Corey Stewart, chairman of Prince William County's Board of Supervisors. "My mission is law enforcement and the protection of public safety."

Prince William County, about 25 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., stepped up its immigration enforcement in 2007 amid explosive growth of its Hispanic and immigrant populations. Under Stewart's leadership, the county implemented a local policy requiring police to determine the immigration status of all people arrested on suspicion of violating state or local laws.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

A Latino civil rights group is suing a Nebraska city to stop its new ordinance that bars residents from hiring or renting homes to illegal immigrants.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed the lawsuit Wednesday in federal court "to protect immigrants from unlawful, local regulation of immigration" and challenges to constitutional and federal authority.

Fremont city attorney Dean Skokan (skoh-KAN') says he couldn't comment because he hadn't yet seen the lawsuit.

The lawsuit targets the city's illegal-immigration ordinance that voters approved in June. The ban is set to go into effect on July 29.

The American Civil Liberties Union also has promised to challenge the ban in court, but had not filed a lawsuit by Wednesday morning.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

When it comes to the highly inflamed issue of immigration, Americans hold complex and seemingly contradictory views.

On one hand, a clear majority of Americans in numerous polls — including Texans — support Arizona's tough new law, which would require police officers to ask suspected illegal immigrants for identification.

A Gallup Poll released earlier this month shows just 33 percent of the public approve of the Obama administration's lawsuit attempt to have the law nullified, while 50 percent disagree with it.

But it's more complicated than that.

A whopping 82 percent of people who support the Arizona law also support comprehensive national immigration reform that includes a path for current illegal immigrants to become citizens, according to a bipartisan poll conducted in June by Lake Research Partners, a Democratic firm, and Public Opinion Strategies, a group of Republican pollsters.

"It seems inconsistent," concedes David Mermin, a partner at Lake Research Partners. "But what's consistent is a desire for action."

The common thread running through public opinion on immigration is anger: anger at the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws, anger at businesses for hiring illegal immigrants, anger at landlords for renting to them and anger at Congress for inaction.

And while most Americans favor a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who pay a fine and otherwise obey the law, 59 percent of voters say the government should secure the United States' southern border before addressing reform legislation, a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll in late June found.

Scott Rasmussen, whose polling firm has conducted numerous polls on immigration-related issues, said those numbers reflect people's displeasure with Washington.

"Of people who are angry about immigration, over 80 percent are angry at the federal government," said Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson plans to host a meeting of U.S. and Mexican border governors in his state, a venue change in response to Mexican governors' objections to Arizona's tough new immigration enforcement law.

Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said Thursday the meeting will be held in Santa Fe in late September.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer called off the meeting in Phoenix after the Mexican governors planned to boycott it because of Arizona's new immigration enforcement law.

The Mexican governors said in a June letter that Arizona's law violated civil rights and they suggested moving the conference to another state.

The agenda and other details of the meeting are still being worked out, but the governors of six Mexican states are expected to attend, Gallegos said.

Gallegos said Richardson was "working with other governors to craft a tight, but productive agenda that focuses on the most pressing issues in the border region."

Richardson's announcement of the border governors' meeting came as a federal judge in Phoenix considered a lawsuit against the Arizona law, which takes effect July 29 unless blocked by a court.

The law requires police, while enforcing other laws, to question a person's immigration status if officers have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

A federal judge will hear arguments Thursday over whether Arizona's new immigration should take effect on July 29.

It will mark the first major hearing in one of the seven challenges to the strict law.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also will consider arguments over Gov. Jan Brewer's request to dismiss the challenge filed by Phoenix police Officer David Salgado and the statewide nonprofit group Chicanos Por La Causa.

The judge said last week that she wasn't making any promises on whether she will rule on the officer's request to block enforcement of the law before it takes effect.

The law requires police, while enforcing other laws, to question a person's immigration status if officers have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

By Breaking Legal News, Breaking Legal News.

The Obama administration’s lawsuit against Arizona over its tough law cracking on illegal immigration won’t deter state Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, who says he is “full steam ahead” in sponsoring a Utah version of the Arizona law.

“I actually think the more states that pass legislation and get involved in the lawsuit, the better it’s going to be for defraying costs and fighting the federal government,” said Sandstrom, R-Orem.

Sandstrom said he also wants to join other legislators in filing a brief supporting the legality of the Arizona law and based on his discussions with Arizona lawmakers, he is confident the courts will uphold the state law.

“They’re pretty confident this whole thing is going to be in and out of court pretty quick and they’re going to be victorious,” he said.

Sandstrom is planning on introducing a Utah version of the Arizona law, which requires police officers to ask about the immigration status of anyone stopped or detained for a suspected violation if the officer suspects the individual might be in the country illegally.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank says the lawsuit sends a very strong message that enforcement of illegal immigration is not something states should be handling.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.