David Salgado and Chicanos Por La Causa Fights Arizona SB1070

Photo Credit: Mi Cultura My Roots by El Moisés

Photo Credit: Mi Cultura My Roots by El Moisés – Commissioned by Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC)

Figuratively speaking, the heat is on in Arizona. That state legal showdown is expected to pour large amount of taxpayers money down the drain in its attempt to overstep federal immigration authority. Yesterday, a federal judge started to hear the first of seven lawsuits against Arizona's new law, including one brought by the Obama's government.

The first lawsuit is by Phoenix police officer, David Salgado, and Chicanos Por La Causa, a community development organization. Salgado is arguing that the Arizona's law is preempted by federal law and that enforcing it would require police to engage in racial profiling. Salgado also alleges that Arizona's SB1070 violated his 14th Amendment rights of equal protection under the law.

Eleven U.S. cities including Baltimore, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Haven, Palo Alto, Portland, Saint Paul, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle are supporting the lawsuit against Arizona. Four foreign countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, and Peru are also supporting the lawsuit against Arizona.

On the other hand, nine states have filed friend of court briefs supporting Arizona's vague and broad law – Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia.

SB1070 which takes effect on July 29, 2010 requires police, while enforcing other laws, to question a person's immigration status if the officer thinks that the person is in the country illegally.