by RACHEL WINCH
As for the temporary, partial court injunction issued by federal judge Susan Bolton, which prevented four key sections of the SB-1070 law from going into effect, [Maricopa County Sheriff Joe] Arpaio responded by saying: “It doesn’t matter what the ruling is by the federal judge. We’re going to do it anyway.”
There is a strong sentiment in Arizona’s immigrant and Latino communities that even if Bolton had ruled for a full injunction, the battle for human rights and justice for immigrants would be far from over. Tucson resident Lynda Cruz put it succinctly: “The problem is not just 1070, but the fact that such legislation was able to be passed in the first place . . . We have been living SB-1070 even before they drafted it.” But while Arpaio’s customary bravado underscores the vigilante attitude running rampant in Arizona, what he doesn’t say is that he’s authorized to do his immigration sweeps not under Arizona state legislation, but federal law.