Undermining?

Letter date: 
Monday, July 2, 2012
Letter publisher: 
democratherald.com
Letter body: 

Logic has nothing to do with how the Supreme Court decides some cases. This was evident especially in the decision that threw out most of Arizona’s law on illegal immigration.

Justice Kennedy took note of the fact that the federal government has not been able to come up with better ways to enforce the immigration laws or to change the laws, and he wrote:

“Arizona may have understandable frustrations with the problems caused by illegal immigration while that process continues, but the state may not pursue policies that undermine federal law.”

How does a state undermine federal law by trying to enforce it? Or trying to help the federal authorities to enforce it?

Federal law says foreign nationals are not to enter the United States except by meeting certain regulations, and if they do so anyway in violation of the law, they’re not supposed to be able to get a paying job in this country.

Arizona, which being on the border has more issues with this than many other states, was trying to carry out the law, not to undermine it.

States that pass medical marijuana laws, like Oregon, do undermine federal law. But Arizona? On the immigration front it was just trying to do its part.