Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer said on Monday she would immediately petition the U.S. Supreme Court to lift an injunction blocking key parts of the state's controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants, according to Reuters. The law, signed by Brewer in April 2010, requires police to check the immigration status of anyone they detained and suspected was in the country illegally. The Obama administration challenged it in a lawsuit, arguing it improperly meddled in federal issues. A federal judge blocked key parts of the law shortly before it came into effect in July 2010. That ruling was upheld last month by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Brewer told a news conference in Phoenix she would seek an "immediate petition" with the Supreme Court to lift the injunction blocking parts of the law. "When faced with injustice, Arizonans will not sit idly by, we will act," said Brewer, who was accompanied by Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne. "For decades, the federal government has neglected its constitutional duty to secure the border. It is because of that negligence that Arizona was forced to take action to protect its citizens," she added. The state has until July 11 to file its petition with the Supreme Court. Arizona's tough crackdown had wide support in the state, which borders Mexico, as well as across the United States, but it was opposed by President Barack Obama, many Democrats and civil rights groups. Opponents of the law said it would lead to harassment of Hispanic-Americans. Obama has called such "piecemeal" state legislation a mistake and warned that having 50 different immigration laws around the country is untenable. Obama supports a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws, including tightened enforcement on the Mexico border, and a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants who pay a fine, learn English and go to the back of the immigration line. He is expected to give a policy speech on immigration in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday. In its ruling last month, the appellate court also upheld a lower court injunction against provisions in the Arizona immigration law requiring immigrants to carry their papers at all times and banning people without proper documents from soliciting for work in public places. Other provisions, including measures preventing drivers from hiring day laborers off the streets, went into effect. In a statement, Brewer's office said that by appealing the case directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, there was a "greater likelihood that legal questions surrounding (the law) will be resolved quickly so that the law can begin to do its job."
