I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday filed suit against Arizona governor Jan Brewer and the state of Arizona, challenging a new Arizona immigration law, saying it “crossed a constitutional line.”
The brief argues that Arizona law “is preempted by federal law and therefore violates the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.”
In June, when asked what she would do if the DOJ filed suit, Brewer told CNN, “We’ll meet you in court” and added, “I have a pretty good record in court.”
The law only seeks to end illegal immigration through “attrition,” which ignores other objectives that the federal government has in immigration law according to the DOJ’s brief. “And even in pursuing attrition, [Arizona] S.B. 1070 disrupts federal enforcement priorities and resources that focus on aliens who pose a threat to national security or public safety.”
The law would go into effect on July 29, a little more than three weeks from today.
“Arizonans are understandably frustrated with illegal immigration, and the federal government has a responsibility to comprehensively address those concerns,” Attorney General Holder said in a statement. “But diverting federal resources away from dangerous aliens such as terrorism suspects and aliens with criminal records will impact the entire country’s safety. Setting immigration policy and enforcing immigration laws is a national responsibility. Seeking to address the issue through a patchwork of state laws will only create more problems than it solves.”
In a speech calling for comprehensive immigration reform last week, President Barack Obama referenced the Arizona law.
“These laws also have the potential of violating the rights of innocent American citizens and legal residents, making them subject to possible stops or questioning because of what they look like or how they sound,” Obama said.
