Judge blocks key parts of immigration law

Federal judge Susan Bolton issued a preliminary injunction against sections of the Arizona law that would have cops check a person's immigration status and require immigrants to carry their papers. From the NYT:

"Preserving the status quo through a preliminary injunction is less harmful than allowing state laws that are likely preempted by federal law to be enforced," she said. "There is a substantial likelihood that officers will wrongfully arrest legal resident aliens," she wrote. "By enforcing this statute, Arizona would impose a 'distinct, unusual and extraordinary' burden on legal resident aliens that only the federal government has the authority to impose."

This, of course, is only the beginning. Bolton's rulings are sure to be appealed, and could well end up in the ultra-conservative Supreme Court.