US President Barack Obama has landed himself in a political storm by backing Attorney General Eric Holder's lawsuit against Arizona and its tough new illegal immigration law. Some political analysts believe that it could ultimately undermine comprehensive immigration reform, at least in the short-term.
According to the Conservatives the lawsuit against Arizona's immigration law is a ploy for Democrats to garner Latino support. The Liberals on the other hand say that the lawsuit is critical to stop a 'Jose Crow' era against Hispanics. "I think they actually believe that, in a righteous, lawyerly way, the federal government had to step forward and assert federal authority here," Tamar Jacoby, president of ImmigrationWorks USA, a pro-business group that opposes the law, tells Dan Nowicki of the Arizona Republic newspaper. "But I also think it's a pretty naked play for Latino voters. To me, it was a risky and troubling move."
Eric Holder filed the lawsuit on Tuesday saying the Arizona law preempts federal authority over immigration, although the law itself – which takes effect on July 29 – repeatedly cites federal immigration law as its basis.The main point of opposition to the law is that it allows police to ask more questions about people's immigration status based on "reasonable suspicion" that someone is in the country illegally. However, this is not included as a basis for the Federal lawsuit.
“Despite the forces of the status quo, despite the polarization and the frequent pettiness of our politics, we are confronting the great challenges of our times," Obama said in a speech at American University on July 1. "And while this work isn’t easy, and the changes we seek won’t always happen overnight, what we’ve made clear is that this administration will not just kick the can down the road. Immigration reform is no exception." The lawsuit could potentially drive a hard partisan divide into the electorate over immigration.
Important Republicans like Arizona’s two Republican US senators John McCain and Jon Kyl, who have supported reform in the past, have peeled off. This has put Obama’s recent push for comprehensive federal reform – including a partial amnesty for illegal immigrants – into question.
