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Press Releases

Reverend Al Sharpton on the U.S. Justice Department lawsuit over the Arizona Immigration Law

Jul 08, 2010

“I strongly feel that the Justice Department is not only correct but obligated to protect the federal rights of citizens in every state of the Union when it comes to the enforcement of immigration laws.
What the state of Arizona is attempting to do is bring us back to an era of state’s rights by superceding strong federal government in areas that are clearly under the purview of the federal government.
I have led marches in Arizona and raised the concern that federal civil rights will be violated by the passage of the law because the basis of it is to look for people of a certain nationality.
As one who sat and listened to the President’s speech on Immigration last week at American University I am pleased that the Justice Department is acting before the July 29th deadline approaches when the law will go into effect rather than waiting until afterwards.
I hope the courts will Stay the enactment of the Arizona law until it is fully litigated and if the law is enforced I will be one of those who violates the law on July 29th and as of July 30th you will be able to send my mail to a jail in Arizona.