Supreme Court gets Ariz. immigration law

• Tweet

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Arizona appealed a lower court ruling on its controversial immigration law to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Lawyers for Gov. Jan Brewer decided to go directly to the high court to appeal a decision that part of the law is unconstitutional, The Arizona Republic reported. A district court judge specifically blocked the state from enforcing a provision in the law that requires police to ask all detainees about their immigration status.

"I am hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will choose to take this case and issue much-needed clarity for states, such as Arizona, that are grappling with the significant human and financial costs of illegal immigration," Gov. Jan Brewer said in a statement. "For too long the federal government has turned a blind eye as this problem has manifested itself in the form of drop houses in our neighborhoods and crime in our communities. SB 1070 was Arizona's way of saying that we won't wait patiently for federal action any longer. If the federal government won't enforce its immigration laws, we will."