Sanctions law back in court

Federal judge to hear arguments against act

Mary Jo Pitzl
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 16, 2008 12:00 AM

For the third time in as many months, the state employer-sanctions law will be debated in federal court today.

The hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Neil V. Wake comes two weeks after the law took effect and as anxious Arizonans try to weigh the impact of the law on the state's economy as well as on the number of illegal immigrants in the state.

No prosecutions have been brought yet under the law, which penalizes employers found to have knowingly or intentionally hired illegal workers.

Today's hearing will air arguments on the merits of the Legal Arizona Workers Act, as well as the request from business and Hispanic civil-rights groups to grant a preliminary injunction to block the law. The groups contend that the law is fundamentally unconstitutional and that the federal government, not the states, has the authority to enact immigration laws.