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SALT LAKE CITY -- The federal government's lawsuit over Arizona's new immigration law is having a ripple effect that can be felt in Utah. But will the lawsuit convince lawmakers trying to bring a similar immigration law to the Beehive State to give up?
Related:
Gov't files suit to throw out AZ immigration law
The federal government took a momentous step into the immigration debate Tuesday when it filed a lawsuit seeking to throw out Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants, saying the law blatantly violates the Constitution.At first glance, some lawyers say the federal lawsuit makes some strong points.
University of Utah Law Professor Wayne McCormack, who hasn't had a chance to see Arizona's response, says the federal government believes it won't be allowed to track certain conspiracies if Arizona has arrested someone it is monitoring.
"[Things like] drugs and terrorism, etc., where the federal government said, ‘We want to leave this person in play,'" McCormack explained.
Tony Yapias, with Proyecto Latino de Utah, says the lawsuit is a big relief.
"A lawsuit of that magnitude should send a message to Utah legislators," he said.
However, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, says he still plans to bring a similar law to Utah.
Sandstrom doesn't believe the federal government will win its case, and he says there will be some changes in his bill that would fix what Arizona may have gotten wrong.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
