High Court Keeps Controversial Provision of Ariz. Immigration Law Intact

(Newsroom America) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday struck down much of Arizona's immigration law, but left intact one of its most controversial aspects.

The court said the provision requiring local police to check the immigration status of persons they either arrest or merely stop for questioning whom they suspect are in the U.S. illegally does not violate the Constitution by allegedly intruding on the federal government's sovereign power to enforce immigration policy and law.

However, the justices did say challenges to that provision can move forward once that part of the law takes effect.

The ruling comes about a week after President Obama issued an executive order requiring the Department of Homeland Security to end deportation proceedings against most young people who entered the U.S. illegally as small children.

The Obama administration opposed the Arizona law and sued the state to stop its enforcement. Republicans generally supported the legislation, noting much of it was tailored on existing federal law.

A day before the law was set to take effect, a federal judge blocked its implementation, a decision that was upheld on appeal by the 9th Circuit Court.

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