Brown, Warren weigh in on immigration law ruling

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June 26, 2012

Brown, Warren weigh in on immigration law ruling

The Gloucester Daily Times Tue Jun 26, 2012, 01:13 AM EDT

BOSTON (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and his Democratic rival, Elizabeth Warren, are weighing in on a Supreme Court decision that throws out provisions of Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants.

The court on Monday upheld the law's "show me your papers" requirement that police check the status of people stopped for various reasons who might appear to be in the U.S. illegally. But the justices said the provision could be subject to additional legal challenges, and prohibited officers from arresting people on immigration charges.

Brown called the ruling another reminder that the federal government needs to deal with the nation's broken immigration system, and that the first step is securing the border.

"We are a nation of immigrants and should fix the system to make it easier for people seeking to enter our country legally," Brown said in a statement after the ruling was announced.

Warren's campaign manager said the decision makes it clear that Arizona overstepped its authority, but added that the ruling may still allow for racial profiling by law enforcement.

"The overall effect of this decision is to reaffirm that the federal government, not the states, creates and enforces immigration laws," said Warren campaign manager Mindy Myers.

Both campaign also used the ruling to take swipes at each other.

Brown faulted Warren for supporting taxpayer-funded benefits like in-state college tuition rates for those in the country illegally.

"She wants to make illegal immigration more attractive. I want to strengthen our legal immigration system and provide more opportunities for those who have played by the rules," Brown said.

Myers pointed out that Brown opposed President Barack Obama's recent move to ease enforcement of the nation's immigration laws for illegal immigrants who were brought to the country as children.

"Scott Brown remains steadfast in his desire to thwart any effort to reach common ground or to help young immigrants," Myers said.

Gov. Deval Patrick said Congress' failure to act has opened the door for state laws that appear tough on immigration, but only to create an environment of fear.

"We need to change course from a state-by-state response to our broken immigration system and develop a permanent solution that keeps America safe," Patrick said.

Also Monday, Patrick pledged there will be no "an Arizona-type law" in Massachusetts as long as he's governor.