Show me your papers!

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Please support our critical End-of-Year Campaign. Common Dreams brings you real news that matters. Judge's ruling, says the ACLU, "opens the door to racial profiling, wrongful detentions and arrests, putting everyone's civil rights at risk.

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US District Judge Susan Bolton ruled on Tuesday that Arizona police can immediately start enforcing the so-called "show me your papers" provision of a law passed by the Republican-run state legislature an signed nearly two years ago by Governor Jan Brewer. The law allows police, when in the process of investigating or enforcing other possible crimes, to demand proof of immigration status from those they suspect of not being documented US citizens. A challenge of the controversial provision reached all the way to the US Supreme Court earlier this year, but the law was upheld on the grounds that it did not conflict with other federal statutes.

Omar Jadwat, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants' Rights Project said the ruling "opens the door to racial profiling, wrongful detentions and arrests, putting everyone's civil rights at risk.

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In response to the looming policy, immigrant rights and Latino activists have initiated a program of education to help protect community members against the law. The Associated Press reports:.

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Natally Cruz and Leticia Ramirez have been telling immigrants who are in the United States illegally, like themselves, that they should offer only their name and date of birth — and carry no documents that show where they were born. It requires officers, while enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of those suspected of being in the country illegally.

Ramirez and Cruz had remained hopeful the provision would be blocked, but they were preparing by sending a message to communities of illegal immigrants that they should respectfully stand their ground against police. It also compels local jails to honor requests from federal immigration authorities to hold immigrants in their cells until their legal status can be determined. Officials who violate the ban could be removed from office or, in the case of law enforcement officials, be thrown in jail.

The Supreme Court already sanctioned that provision when it ruled in the Arizona case, they say.

Gov. Abbott Gleefully Signs 'Show Me Your Papers' Bill Into Law

Supreme Court and upheld. That was true, but the court also left the door open for further legal challenges if the provision led to racial profiling. Law enforcement officers could ask about immigration status during a stop, but could not do so without a valid reason. That agreement, immigrants rights groups said, addressed many of their concerns about the law and put police agencies on notice that they could be punished for racially profiling.

The small Texas city fighting to remain a ‘safe haven’ for immigrants

But supporters say that, though weakened, the provision remains in effect, proving its legality. Defenders of Texas' law point out that it specifically prohibits discrimination and protects immigrants who are victims or witnesses of crimes. In previous rulings, the Supreme Court has said that immigration enforcement is the duty of the federal government, not states. With a Trump administration that is hawkish on immigration enforcement, however, supporters think those rulings could flip in their favor.

For example, Republican lawmakers tried to address one concern in the Arizona law by allowing officers to ask about immigration status rather than requiring them to do so. Saenz said that could encourage rogue officers to zealously enforce immigration laws, which could lead to civil rights abuse lawsuits, and prevent supervisors from reeling them in.

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Texas is already involved in two six-year-long legal battles over a controversial voter identification law and the drawing of electoral maps in Opponents of the sanctuary city ban hope their resolution will come sooner, but they could be in for a similarly long wait. By submitting, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Don't miss a story.