Arizona’s SB 1070, HB 2162 and HB 2281 laws

Arizona SB 1070 requires all persons over the age of 14 who remain in the US for more than 30 days to register with the government and to have registration documents in their possession at all times. This law also requires law enforcement to determine a person’s immigrant status during a “lawful stop, detention or arrest” or during “lawful contact” with a person who law enforcement “suspects” is an undocumented immigrant. Arizona HB 2162 is the final version of Arizona SB 1070, but includes the text stating, “prosecutors would not investigate complaints based on race, color or national origin.” The U.S. Department of Justice files a lawsuit against the state of Arizona asking that the law be declared invalid because it interferes with federal immigration regulations. Arizona HB 2281 prohibits public schools from offering courses at any grade level that advocate ethnic solidarity, promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, or cater to specific ethnic groups. As a result the state’s popular Mexican-American studies programs dismantle.