Border Control

I came across this article today on the CNN website and think everyone should read it. Border security has been a controversial issue for the United States overall, but Arizona has taken extreme measures in an attempt to remediate the problem. Here’s a summary of the article:

Governor Jan Brewer says that security and border control are the number one issues right now in Arizona. She recently announced that her home state is countersuing the federal government for the authority to lead their own efforts in the fight against illegal immigration. Brewer and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne feel that the federal government has been unsuccessful in protecting Arizona and enforcing federal laws. The lawsuit is a response to a suit filed in the previous year by the Obama administration. In 2010 Brewer signed into law a measure known as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 that required state law enforcement officers to apprehend and deport illegal immigrants. Before the law was to go into effect, the Obama administration filed a suit against Arizona claiming that only the federal government has that authority. A federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the law.

It will be interesting to find out who comes out on top here. California filed a similar suit in the 90s and failed.  If Arizona wins the countersuit, will other states follow in its path? The outcome of this legal battle will have a profound effect on the citizens of Arizona and across the nation.