Wisconsinites react to ruling on Arizona immigration law

Civil libertarians and conservative lawmakers in Wisconsin are reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Arizona’s immigration law.

The high court struck down most of the provisions in Arizona’s SB1070: those on immigrant registration papers, the arrest of suspected illegal immigrants without a warrant and making it a crime for illegal immigrants to seek work or hold a job. But the justices have allowed the most contentious part of the law: the requirement that police officers check the immigration status of anyone they suspect is in the United States illegally.

The ruling comes after Wisconsin lawmaker Don Pridemore introduced a state bill that would have triggered a smaller crackdown on illegal immigration. Chris Ahmuty of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin says Monday’s ruling should discourage Rep. Pridemore from reviving the bill.

Ahmuty says it’s unfortunate that the state legislature last year halted a requirement for law enforcement to collect data that could be studied for any signs of racial profiling during traffic stops. Rep. Pridemore says he’ll wait until after the presidential election to see if he’ll introduce an amended version of his bill. The Hartford Republican is hoping Mitt Romney defeats President Obama.

Pridemore says he thinks Romney would be tougher on illegal immigration than Obama has been.