Judge's Ruling Killed State Immigration Reform

Judge Susan Bolton’s decision to fence off much of Arizona’s immigration law could also put a stop to hundreds of similar attempts to combat illegal immigration in other states. Though Bolton hasn’t finished hearing the case yet, stopping the law sent a pretty clear message that she agreed with the Justice Department’s argument that the Arizona law intruded on federal turf.

“This is a warning to any other jurisdiction,” the head of one Mexican-American group tells the New York Times. Bolton’s ruling went even farther than the Obama administration anticipated, according to the Wall Street Journal. While the Justice Department case hadn’t focused on racial profiling, for example, Bolton brought it up, citing a Supreme Court precedent protecting aliens from “the possibility of inquisitorial practices and police surveillance.” (More illegal immigration stories.)