Earlier today, ABC reported that Attorney General Eric Holder will likely file his lawsuit against Arizona over its immigration law next week. Now, the AP reports: "Lawyers for Mexico on Tuesday submitted a legal brief in support of one of five lawsuits challenging the law. The law will take effect June 29 unless implementation is blocked by a court."
The government of Mexico today formally joined a lawsuit in federal court challenging Arizona's new immigration law, saying that the highest levels of the Mexican government have grave concerns about it.
"Each day, approximately 65,000 Mexicans are admitted into Arizona; and each day they spend an average of $7.35 million in its stores, restaurants, and other businesses," says a friend-of-court brief filed by Mexico. But if the new law takes effect, "Mexican citizens will be afraid to visit Arizona for work or pleasure out of concern that they will be subject to unlawful police scrutiny and detention," the brief says.
The law creates "an imminent threat of state-sanctioned bias or discrimination, resulting not only in individual injury but also in broader social and economic harms to its citizens."
"Given the public rhetoric by the Arizona Governor and other state officials," the brief says, "Mexico is rightfully concerned for the civil rights of its citizens in Arizona." The law gives local police officers "carte blanche authority to stereotype and to rely on the popular perception that appearances and foreign-ness" are justifiable reasons to treat members of a targeted group differently, it says.
Of course, that's a wildly inaccurate description of the law. The text of Arizona's law says that law enforcement officials may only inquire about immigration status in the course of a "lawful stop, detention or arrest," and they "may not consider race, color or national origin." A person is presumed a lawful resident by providing an Arizona driver's license.
And of course, this is chutzpah of the highest order by the Mexican government. See this column Michelle Malkin on how Mexico treats its illegal residents.
