Federal judge Susan Bolton ruled Wednesday that the state of Arizona can no longer enforce a key provision of immigration law SB 1070 that is aimed at day laborers. After the passage of 1070, it became illegal in the state to enter a car that is stopped in traffic in order to go to work elsewhere. In addition, the law also made it illegal for one to pick up day laborers. Bolton concluded that it is not a crime to be a day laborer, and these provisions of 1070, explicitly enforced as a means of promoting the free flow of traffic, are in reality a veiled attempt at criminalizing a wholly legal labor practice. The National Day Laborer Organizing Network is cheering on Wednesday’s court ruling, arguing that it is at its heart a victory for free speech. – Examiner 02.29.2012
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