PHOENIX (AP) - In a story May 30 story about Arizona’s immigration law, The Associated Press erroneously reported that as part of an agreement in principle to end most of the Obama administration’s challenge to the statute, the state would do away with the law’s requirement that immigrants carry registration papers. The state is agreeing to end its defense of the law’s immigrant harboring ban. The story also incorrectly reported the administration challenged Arizona’s earlier smuggling law. The administration has contested only a minor revision to the smuggling ban that was contained in the landmark law.
A corrected version of the story is below:
Feds consider dropping immigration law challenge
Obama administration considers deal to drop challenge against Arizona immigration law
By JACQUES BILLEAUD
Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) - The Obama administration has signaled a willingness to drop its legal fight against a section of Arizona’s 2010 immigration law that critics say opens the door to racial profiling.
A deal between the Justice Department and Republican Gov. Jan Brewer would end the court challenge asking a judge to strike down a requirement that police question the immigration status of people suspected of being in the country illegally, according to court records.
In exchange, Arizona would permanently do away with the law’s prohibition on harboring immigrants who are in the country illegally, lawyers on both sides of the case wrote. Courts have blocked that section on a preliminary basis.
The attorneys cautioned in Thursday’s filing that they haven’t yet come up with a proposed court order that would carry out their agreement in principle.
If such a deal is approved by a judge, all that would remain of the Obama administration’s case would be its challenge of a minor revision to a 2005 immigrant smuggling law that was contained in the 2010 statute. No agreement has been reached on that section.
The possible resolution of key parts of the challenge comes after nearly four years of litigation.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the questioning provision, but it threw out the section calling for registration paperwork.
The courts also blocked other parts of the law until the disputes are litigated further, such as the immigrant harboring ban. The harboring requirement would be permanently blocked if the proposed agreement goes through.
Messages left for the Justice Department and governor’s office weren’t immediately returned Friday.
Two of six other challenges to the 2010 law remain.
One of the suits was brought by a coalition of civil rights groups mounting a broader challenge than the Obama administration.
Karen Tumlin, an attorney representing the coalition, said that lawsuit will continue even if the Obama administration’s case fades.
“There needs to be clarity that Arizonans cannot be illegally detained based on their suspected immigration status,” Tumlin said.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.