Governor Jan Brewer wants to the U.S. Supreme Court to take a look at Arizona's contested immigration law, SB1070, following the law's shoot-downs in lower courts.
"I am hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Court will choose to take this case and issue much-needed clarity for states, such as Arizona, that are grappling with the significant human and financial costs of illegal immigration," Brewer said today in a written statement.
Just before the law that Brewer signed was to take effect last year, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton halted key provisions that would have allowed local police to arrest illegal immigrants almost at will and made it a state crime for immigrants to leave home without their ID.
The Ninth Circuit Court upheld Bolton's injunction earlier this year.
Along with Brewer's statement, State Attorney General Tom Horne said it was "shocking" that the Circuit Court claimed Arizona shouldn't interfere with "foreign policy, a federal monopoly," and scoffed at the way foreign countries disagree with SB1070.
If the Ninth's ruling isn't overturned, "this country's sovereignty is in trouble," Horne stated.
When in doubt -- exaggerate.
The Supreme Court may need to take up the Arizona question, though, because of another state that passed an SB1070-like law, Georgia. In June, a federal judge also blocked similar provisions of Georgia's new law.
If Supreme Court justices don't take a stab at Arizona's law, they may find themselves dealing with a logjam of similar appeals.
Below: The petition filed by Brewer to the U.S. Supreme Court:
