Phoenix officials feel heat over migration as protests continue

Think tank weighs suit

Casey Newton and Yvonne Wingett
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 3, 2007 12:00 AM

As protests and arrests of undocumented workers continued near a Phoenix furniture store over the weekend, a Washington-based think tank is researching whether to sue Phoenix over its immigration policies.

Judicial Watch, a 13-year-old conservative think tank best known for its lawsuits against the Clinton administration, sent its chief investigator to Phoenix on Friday to review public documents related to immigration.

The group's visit comes at a time when Mayor Phil Gordon, Police Chief Jack Harris and other city officials are under pressure to take stronger actions on illegal immigration-related controversies. Gordon reportedly spoke with advisers over the weekend about how to respond to mounting criticism over his handling of issues related to illegal immigration.

Many of Judicial Watch's recent lawsuits have focused on immigration issues. The group is suing Los Angeles over the city's Special Operations Order 40, which prevents police in most cases from asking about a person's immigration status.

Phoenix has a similar order, Operations Order 1.4, which has led to increasing political pressure on Gordon and the City Council to change the policy.