Recently, South Carolina has decided to enforce certain immigration laws, which are rather similar to those that were ruled into effect in Alabama not too long ago. Under the South Carolina reform, police officers are required to summon federal immigration authorities if they suspect an arrested person is an illegal alien. The law also makes it a felony for people to use fake identification documents for illegal immigrants, and for people to transport illegal immigrants. This law also allows state residents to sue state officials who do not enforce the law.
Federal officials have sued to block enforcement of immigration reforms passed in Arizona and Alabama. Also, federal agency officials have adopted new rules that slow the deportation of illegals, prompted the release of many illegals being processed for deportation and curbed long-standing efforts to find illegal immigrants.
“South Carolina’s law clearly conflicts with the policies and priorities adopted by the federal government and therefore cannot stand,” the Justice Department said yesterday as it announced the filing in U.S. District Court in Charleston.
The debate between the state and the federal government now lies in wether or not the creation of these laws was necessary. The state believes that if the federal government would have enforced its immigration laws properly, such harsh measures would not be considered. Nonetheless, the topic of immigration is causing much debate in many states, and does not seem to be settling down any time soon.
