USA Today - Supreme Court Upholds AZ Employer Sanctions Law

By Joan Biskupic, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — A Supreme Court decision upholding an Arizona law penalizing businesses that hire illegal immigrants could spur other states to try similar measures aimed at stopping people from crossing the border illegally.

In their 5-3 decision Thursday, the justices made clear that states can play a role in what is generally a federal system of immigration regulation. The court upheld a 2007 Arizona law that revokes the business license of companies that hire unauthorized workers, saying it met an exception to the usual federal prohibition on states setting civil or criminal penalties in this area.

The court, however, offered no clear signal of how it might rule on a more controversial and closely watched Arizona anti-immigration law, signed in 2010 by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer and now facing a separate, higher-profile legal challenge.

That law, often referred to as Arizona SB 1070, requires police to investigate the status of anyone an arresting officer suspects might be here illegally. The Obama administration and other critics say it could lead to racial profiling. . . .

. . . . Jay Sekulow, chief counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice, among the groups that backed Arizona at the court, said, "I think you're going to see this become a catalyst for state action, in licensing and other areas." He termed the ruling "a road map" for states that want "to protect their borders and citizens.". . .

The complete story is posted here.