Good question with a very simple answer. Asking a prospective employee for documentation papers is legal because the federal government has enacted a statute making the hiring of an illegal alien a crime. Remember that states can enforce federal law. But the state cannot go beyond the scope of the federal law. Only the federal government can determine the legal status of a non-citizen. Thus, the state cannot enact a law that requires state actors to determine the legal status of the non-citizens they arrest or detain. If the feds refuse to cooperate with that, there is literally nothing the state can do about it. Our problem — as it has been from the beginning — is the federal government’s refusal to enforce the immigration laws on the books. The solution to that is a political one. Vote the creeps out and elect a Congress and President who will enforce the federal laws. We have that opportunity in November and I hope we take advantage of the opportunity in a big way. The best part of this Court’s order is that politically it will backfire on the liberals more than they can even imagine. The problem is in D.C., not Phoenix.

the feds don’t even generally care if a SSN is being used fraudulently- if you are an employer you find this out when the real owner of that number calls you screaming from another state. but they will bring the heat if they smell tax money gone unpaid.

and for the record an employer is required by federal law to ask potential employees for their papers – and the types acceptable are listed along with a number to call to verify SSNs -to prove they are entitled to work in the usa. how is this legal when asking someone for the same information when suspected of a crime is supposedly forbidden? i’m not a federal employee( or a peace officer) and i’ve asked people for their papers dozens of times- and i was personally susceptible along with my company to fines and criminal charges if i falsified that information knowingly. it’s absurd.

it seems to me that it’s the federal government that is libel for all the crimes against american citizens committed by illegals- particularly if the criminals were turned into and then released by ICE. if possible this avenue should be pursued in earnest.

the theater of the absurd always leads to the circus of cruelty.

Elsewhere you say that if you’re a legal alien, then you must prove your legal status under penalty of law. However, if you’re an illegal alien, there is no penalty of law for not being able to prove your legal status, nor is there any penalty of law for being illegal. If that’s true, then the law you describe serves no other purpose than to harass legal aliens. A scenario that pointless wouldn’t make any sense. I’m not saying it isn’t so, but what you’re describing is insane.

Again, I’m a civilian, and I expect things to make sense in a commonsense kind of way. Maybe I’m unreasonable in this, but I don’t think I’m being unreasonable in expecting to live in a world I’m capable of understanding, or at least I should be able to understand the rules of my own country. This is crazy stuff going on. When the nice officer stops me, I’ve got to prove I’m a licensed driver, and that my car is registered and insured. I’ve got to identify myself to my bank, and I’ve got to pay my taxes. I have every reason to believe I’ll get stomped hard by my government if I don’t do these things. Likewise, when I’ve been abroad, I keep my papers on my person at all times. I’m happy to carry my share of the burden and I’m not complaining, except when I get the feeling I’m being played for a fool. Why do we have two sets of rules, one for people that play by the rules and one for people that break the rules? Am I naive in saying the American ideal is equal protection under the law?

As to the idea of not showing proof of health care coverage (which I assume you weren’t 100% serious about), there’s a biiiig problem. Unlike the low level penalties usually cited for non-compliance with the census ($100) which would cost the government more than it would be worth to pursue, the DeathCare Bill had provisions allowing the IRS direct access to your bank accounts. I imagine the gov’t. would LOVE to snag a hefty chunk from every protester’s accounts. I also am thinking the penalties will escalate rapidly.

We need to VOTE THE BA****** OUT and reverse it all!

Liberals, illegal aliens, and immigration ambulance-chasers are celebrating now. They don’t have idea of what will be coming in November, and I hope it will be catastrophic for them. I can’t hardly wait.