CAC President Doug Kendall: “Today’s decision is a near-complete vindication of the federal government’s authority to establish uniform rules that guide immigration policy in this country.”

SUPREME COURT PLAZA (Washington, DC) – On news that the U.S. Supreme Court this morning handed down a ruling in the Arizona SB 1070 immigration case, striking down three sections and requiring an important limitation on the fourth, Constitutional Accountability Center President Doug Kendall – who was in the Court to listen to the opinions be read – released the following statement:

“Today’s decision is a near-complete vindication of the federal government’s authority to establish uniform rules that guide immigration policy in this country.  While Justice Kennedy soberly explained why the law prohibited Arizona’s effort to take immigration law into its own hands, Justice Scalia responded with a political diatribe better suited for Fox News than the Supreme Court.”

UPDATE: Following her appearance on MSNBC immediately after this morning’s decision, CAC Chief Counsel Elizabeth Wydra said, “By continuing to block three of the four challenged provisions of Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, the Court today issued a victory for the Constitution and the American people.  While it is troubling that the Court allowed the ‘show me your papers’ provision to go into effect, I am hopeful that this is merely a victory delayed, as the Court made clear that legal challenges, including ones alleging racial profiling, against the provision could and will continue.”

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Resources:

*  For a pre-rebuttal of Justice Scalia’s attempt to link today’s ruling with President Barack Obama’s recent announcement about immigration enforcement priorities, read in today’s Huffington Post, “Obama’s Dream and the Right’s Crocodile Tears,” by Doug Kendall: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/doug-kendall/obamas-dream-and-the-righ_b_1622313.html 

CAC’s “friend of the court” brief in Arizona v. U.S.:  http://theusconstitution.org/cases/briefs/arizona-v-us-us-v-arizona/arizona-v-us 

“Arizona’s S.B. 1070 v. The Founders: CAC Files Brief in Historic Arizona Immigration Law Case,” December 22, 2010: http://theusconstitution.org/media/releases/arizonas-sb-1070-v-founders-cac-files-brief-historic-arizona-immigration-law-case 

Constitution at a Crossroads: “Federalism and Immigration: Will the Court Choose Federal Uniformity or States’ Rights in Immigration Law?” http://theusconstitution.org/think-tank/crossroads/chapter-10-federalism-and-immigration-will-court-choose-federal-uniformity-or

“Arizona v. US Recap: Justices Skeptical of Aspects of SB 1070, Supportive of “Papers, Please” Provision,” Elizabeth Wydra, April 30, 2012: http://theusconstitution.org/text-history/1425/arizona-v-us-recap-justices-skeptical-aspects-sb-1070-supportive-%E2%80%9Cpapers-please%E2%80%9D

“Born Under the Constitution: Why Recent Attacks on Birthright Citizenship are Unfounded,” Elizabeth Wydra, March 31, 2011: http://theusconstitution.org/think-tank/issue-brief/born-under-constitution-why-recent-attacks-birthright-citizenship-are

“Immigration and the Tea Party’s Efforts to Deny the Constitution’s Guarantee of Birthright Citizenship,” Elizabeth Wydra, July 22, 2010: http://theusconstitution.org/text-history/1853

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Constitutional Accountability Center (www.theusconstitution.org) is a think tank, public interest law firm, and action center dedicated to fulfilling the progressive promise of the Constitution’s text and history.

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