The US Supreme Court Rules On Immigration & Juvenile Sentences

The United States Supreme Court has stuck down many of the provisions of Arizona's crackdown on immigrants.

The one part of the law, which could be challenged after it is instituted, was the part of the law that requires police officer to check the status of someone they suspect is not in the United States legally could go forward. Even there, though, the justices said the provision could be subject to additional legal challenges.

The parts of the law that the United States Supreme Court struck down were parts of the law that require immigrants to carry papers and forbid them from applying for work.  It also said the law encroached on the federal government's powers to regulate immigration.

U.S. Senator  David Vitter expressed disappointment with most of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Arizona immigration law. Vitter did applaud the court’s upholding of the portion of the law that allows police offers to check immigration status.“All the Arizona law tried to do was fill the void that the federal government has created by neglecting its duty and letting illegal immigration get completely out of control,” Vitter said. “The federal government should be working with Arizona to solve the problem, not taking it to court.  But for those of us who believe our focus should be actively enforcing the federal laws already on the books, the court’s decision to uphold Arizona’s ability to check immigration status is a step forward.”

The decision on healthcare will NOT come today.  It will likely happen Thursday.

In another Supreme Court matter, the justices have ruled that it's unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to life in prison without parole for murder.

The high court says it is unconstitutional to send a child to prison for the rest of their life with no chance of ever getting out.  It was 5 to 4 decision.   The 5-4 decision is in line with others the court has made, including ruling out the death penalty for juveniles and life without parole for young people whose crimes did not involve killing.