Obama team delves into options on Arizona
Richard A. Serrano and Peter Nicholas, Tribune Washington Bureau
April 29, 2010 | 3:34 p.m.
WASHINGTON — A team of top government lawyers has quietly begun studying legal strategies for the Obama administration to mount a challenge to Arizona's new illegal immigration law, including the filing of a federal lawsuit against the state or joining a suit brought by others who believe the bill unfairly targets Latinos.
President Obama and Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. have denounced the law, leading to expectations that the administration will take action soon. Obama said Wednesday that the law, which allows police to demand proof of citizenship, threatens the "core values that we all care about."
Attorneys from the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security are examining legal options and
hope to make suggestions by mid-May, before the Arizona law takes effect sometime in mid-summer, officials said.
Adding urgency to the process, the White House voiced concern that other states may adopt laws like Arizona's. A Utah lawmaker already has proposed such a measure there.
Grounds for a possible U.S. challenge could include charges that the Arizona measure unlawfully pre-empts the federal government's role in securing the country's borders, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. Or, federal officials could file a civil rights challenge, claiming that the law encourages racial profiling.more...
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-obama-immigration30-20100429,0,7511166,full.story