Today in a 5-3 ruling, the US Supreme Court struck down most of Arizona's notorious anti-immigrant law, delivering a crushing blow to fringe nativists!

The Court struck down most of the Arizona law – including the provisions imposing penalties for failing to register as an immigrant, the provision establishing criminal penalties against individuals seeking to work in Arizona, and the provision permitting warrantless arrests based on suspected immigration status.

The one area that the Court upheld was the provision requiring Arizona to detain a person to determine his immigration status, but the Court cautioned that warning that the manner in which Arizona enforces this part of the statute will be subject to careful judicial review in the future.

Here's the key quote from their ruling:

"Immigration policy shapes the destiny of the Nation. On May 24, 2012, at one of this Nation’s most distinguished museums of history, a dozen immigrants stood before the tattered flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the National Anthem.  There they took the oath to become American citizens. ... These naturalization ceremonies bring together men and women of different origins who now share a common destiny. They swear a common oath to renounce fidelity to foreign princes, to defend the Constitution, and to bear arms on behalf of the country when required by law. 

The history of the United States is in part made of the stories, talents, and lasting contributions of those who crossed oceans and deserts to come here.

The National Government has significant power to regulate immigration. With power comes responsibility, and the sound exercise of national power over immigration depends on the Nation’s meeting its responsibility to base its laws on a political will informed by searching, thoughtful, rational civic discourse."