Sheriff: Fed's argument against AZ law 'ludicrous'
Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 7/29/2010 6:00:00 AM
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton handed a victory to President Barack Obama and supporters of illegal aliens by blocking the most significant sections of Arizona's new immigration law from taking effect Thursday. She gutted the sections that required officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws, the requirement that immigrants carry their papers at all times, and the section banning illegals from soliciting employment in public places. (See related video)
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Larry Dever is serving his fourth term as sheriff of Cochise County, which, as a border county, is part of the entry route taken regularly by illegal aliens. He believes this case will be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court.
"Our best chance at a favorable decision is...to solve this once and for all. States have a right to protect themselves," Dever contends. He adds that "the lame argument in federal government that this law somehow interferes with their ability to enforce immigration law is just ludicrous" because "they're not getting it done to begin with."
He further points out that the federal government has "been talking about partnerships and empowerment since September 11 with state and local law enforcement authorities to get the job done. Arizona steps up [and] says, 'We're ready to take on our part,' and they sue us."
The sheriff assures that while the decision must be appealed, he and other enforcement officers will continue to use the laws and resources available to protect the people they serve. Meanwhile, the state is preparing to appeal Judge Bolton's ruling.
