Arizona's tough immigration law faces challenges in two courtrooms Thursday, including a lawsuit brought by the Obama administration.
A challenge by a group of more than 100 individuals and civil rights groups will be heard in the morning while the Justice Department's lawsuit seeking to stop the law from going into effect June 39 will be heard in the afternoon in Phoenix, CNN reported. Court documents indicate both cases will be heard by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton.
Among other things, the law signed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer in April, requires police to question people about their status if they've been
detained for another reason and if police suspect they're in the United States illegally.
Critics said the law will promote racial profiling while bill supporters said the law is meant only to enforce federal law.
In Washington Wednesday, the U.S. Senate rejected an attempt to bar federal funding for a legal challenge to the Arizona law.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., sponsored the move to attach the immigration measure to the extension of unemployment benefits, The Arizona Republic reported. Their amendment failed 55-43 in a partisan vote, with the Arizona senators John McCain and Jon Kyl, both Republicans,supporting it.