Court Allows South Carolina's Immigration Status Checks, Voids Other Restrictions

Call it a split decision

Today, a federal court in South Carolina upheld most of its original order blocking key provisions of South Carolina's anti-immigrant law from going into effect. The court's ruling today makes it clear that states like South Carolina cannot independently criminalize the act of transporting or harboring certain immigrants, or the failure to carry federal immigration papers. In light of the Supreme Court's decision in Arizona v. United States, however, the court modified its original decision to block the law's "show me your papers" provision. But today's decision clearly states that the law does not allow South Carolina officers to detain individuals solely to verify their immigration status.