President Obama said he is “pleased” but “concerned” after the Supreme Court invalidated some parts of SB 1070, Arizona’s controversial immigration law that his Justice Department challenged.
“I am pleased that the Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of Arizona’s immigration law,” President Obama said in a statement. “What this decision makes unmistakably clear is that Congress must act on comprehensive immigration reform. A patchwork of state laws is not a solution to our broken immigration system – it’s part of the problem.”
But Obama said he is “concerned” about the key provision in the law that the court didn’t address in Monday’s ruling, requiring local law enforcement to check the immigration status of suspected undocumented immigrants.
“Going forward, we must ensure that Arizona law enforcement officials do not enforce this law in a manner that undermines the civil rights of Americans, as the Court’s decision recognizes,” Obama said.