SCOTUS OVERTURNS THREE QUARTERS OF ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW............

In the case of the United States versus Arizona, the Obama Administration's challenge of the Arizona Immigration Law passed by the State Legislature and signed by Governor Jan Brewer, the United States Supreme Court, (SCOTUS) decided by a vote of 5 - 3, to overturn three of its four provisions, and seemed to welcome a test case on the part left standing.  The controversial law's central provision the Supreme Court unanimously upheld, which requires law enforcement officials in Arizona to check the immigration of those persons they stop, which opponents argue could cause illegal ethnic and racial profiling of Latinos.  Making their finding a split decision, the SCOTUS  threw out the necessity of carrying immigration papers at all times; that banned illegal from seeking work in public places; and that allows arrest of illegal immigrants without warrants if they are believed to have committed crimes making them deportable.  The 5 - 3 decision was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, a native Sacramentan, acknowledged as the swing vote among the nine Supreme Court Justices.  Justice Kennedy's majority opinion leaves open the possibility for additional constitutional challenges to the law in regards to racial / ethnic profiling, as the Arizona Immigration Law proceeds.  Both sides in the case claimed victory.  President Obama in a statement following the announcement of the decision said, "I am pleased the Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of Arizona's immigration law", as his Administration had argued in this case that it is the Federal Government, not individual State Governments, that has jurisdiction over Immigration.  Conservatives, led in Arizona by Governor Jan Brewer, are pleased that the core element of the law was upheld.  Governor Brewer speaking about how the heart of Arizona's Immigration Law she signed was preserved said, "It is a victory for the rule of law".  She also pledged that the law will be implemented without racial profiling.  Thus the debate about the problem of illegal immigration and arriving at an effective resolution to securing our borders continues, while Monday's finding by the U.S. Supreme Court underpins the necessity of enacting and carrying out laws that maintain the constitutional prerogatives of our citizens and the dignity of all persons............Fr.  Troy