Court Upholds Injunction Blocking Arizona Immigration Transportation Law

Made transporting illegal immigrants a crime

Arizona's vague and poorly written statute that makes harboring and transporting illegal immigrants a crime is not only "unintelligible" but also pre-empted by federal law, the 9th Circuit ruled Tuesday.

The federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld a preliminary injunction against the law, which is being challenged by Phoenix's Southside Presbyterian Church, the Border Action Network, Arizona South Asians for Safe Families, the Coalicion de Derachos Humanos, and dozens of other groups and individuals.

Part of S.B. 1070, the state's controversial set of laws meant to combat illegal immigration—key portions of which the U.S. Supreme Court enjoined last year—the statute at issue, § 13-2929, states that "It is unlawful for a person who is in violation of a criminal offense to" transport illegal immigrants within the state or harbor them from the authorities, among other things.