Washington D.C.--Today, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Bolton held a hearing on the class action lawsuit filed by Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which charges, among other things, that SB1070 violates the First Amendment and interferes with federal law. In response to the hearing, SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina issued the following statement:

Today, millions of Arizonans are holding their breath, hoping that the Court will insert reason and balance into a debate that has gotten out of control.

"Arizonans--like all Americans--deserve real solutions to fix our immigration problems. But SB1070 is flawed legislation, motivated by crass political calculations instead of any real desire for lasting solutions.

"The law has already turned Arizona into a tense, unwelcoming place for hard-working U.S. citizens like Fernando Villalobos. No different than the more than 2 million Latinos, Asians, and other people of color who live and work in the state, Fernando knows that if this divisive law goes into effect, he will no longer be treated equally by law enforcement agencies.

"This law will do more than violate basic civil rights of workers like Fernando--it will also levy burdensome costs on an already cash-strapped citizenry and divert scarce resources away from fighting organized crime and ensuring public safety.

"Arizona residents of good will don't want this law. Those who say they support it also tell us that what they really want is a comprehensive, federal fix. They are as desperate as the rest of us for real solutions that deal with the root problems of our broken immigration system and move us all forward together.

"On behalf of the people of Arizona and our nation, we look forward to a quick decision from the Court.

"As we dig ourselves out of the greatest economic crisis in decades, we cannot allow things to degenerate to a point where all fifty states are passing their own conflicting, costly and ineffective immigration laws. American can do better. America must do better."

Background for Reporters:

In May, SEIU joined the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), and other civil rights organizations as a leading plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Arizona's immigration law, SB1070. The class action lawsuit, which was filed American Civil Liberties Union, MALDEF, the NAACP, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), and other major rights groups, charges that:

(1) The Arizona law unlawfully interferes with federal power and authority over immigration matters in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution;

(2) Invites racial profiling against people of color by law enforcement in violation of the equal protection guarantee and prohibition on unreasonable seizures under the Fourteenth and Fourth Amendments;

(3) Violates the privileges and immunities clause of the U.S. Constitution;

(4) Infringes on the free speech rights of day laborers and others in Arizona; and

(5) The lawsuit also charges that the law violates the Arizona Constitution's prohibition on investigatory stops by law enforcement without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

For more information or to receive a copy of the federal class action lawsuit, contact Ali.Jost@seiu.org. To learn more about SEIU's work to pass to stop SB1070 and instead pass smart, workable immigration solutions, go to www.ItStopsInArizona.com.

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