{"id":2796,"date":"2012-04-25T16:42:21","date_gmt":"2012-04-25T20:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=2796"},"modified":"2012-04-25T16:42:21","modified_gmt":"2012-04-25T20:42:21","slug":"jay-sekulow-supreme-court-supportive-arizona-immigration-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2012\/04\/jay-sekulow-supreme-court-supportive-arizona-immigration-law.html","title":{"rendered":"Jay Sekulow: SCOTUS Supportive of AZ Immigration Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It was a very good day for the State of Arizona at the U.S. Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

During oral arguments before eight Justices (Justice Elena Kagan recused herself from this case), it became clear that a majority of the Justices<\/a> seem to believe that Arizona has a legitimate role in the enforcement of laws designed to protect its citizens and borders.<\/p>\n

In the run-up to today’s arguments, there’s been much written and said about how the Arizona immigration law is unconstitutional – that a provision that requires state law enforcement officials to verify a person\u2019s legal status when they\u2019re stopped on suspicion of committing a separate offense is somehow discriminatory and unconstitutional.<\/p>\n

But at the outset, the Chief Justice asked the Solicitor General if Arizona\u2019s S.B. 1070 involves racial or ethnic profiling<\/a>. The government repeatedly responded: \u201cNo, it does not.\u201d The fact that the government conceded that the law does not involve racial or ethnic profiling is very significant because it undercuts an argument that\u2019s been repeatedly used to challenge the immigration measure.<\/p>\n

In fact, there was skepticism from several Justices about the Solicitor General’s argument that it was not appropriate for Arizona to act to protect its citizens and border, especially since the federal government has failed to do so. “You can see it’s not selling very well,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor told the government’s attorney<\/a>. She told him that she was “terribly confused” by his arguments.<\/p>\n

In a debate today on FOX News, I told Megyn Kelly that I am optimistic that the Arizona law will be upheld by a majority of the high court.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YTcP6umTcO8<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This case will have dramatic ramifications especially since many other states are standing by to see how this plays out<\/a> before they move forward with laws to protect their citizens.<\/p>\n

We will be watching this case very closely, too. We represent 57 members of Congress and more than 65,000 Americans in an amicus brief<\/a> filed with the high court in support of the Arizona measure. Most Americans<\/a> believe the high court should vote to uphold the AZ law.<\/p>\n

With Justice Kagan not participating in this case because she worked on the issue as U.S. Solicitor General, it will take five votes to overturn the decision of the federal appeals court and permit the Arizona law to stand. As I have said many times, it’s always risky to predict the outcome of a case based on oral arguments. But, after today, it does not appear a majority of the court is prepared to reject the Arizona measure. In fact, it appears key provisions of the law are likely to be upheld as constitutional, as we have argued in our brief.<\/p>\n

A decision will come at the end of the term, probably at the end of June.<\/p>\n

Jay Sekulow<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was a very good day for the State of Arizona at the U.S. Supreme Court. 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He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories. In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb\u2019s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. In the Bray and Operation Rescue cases, Jay Sekulow protected the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to be free from criminal prosecution for conveying their pro-life message. In McConnell v. FEC, Jay Sekulow protected the right of young people to engage in the political process by donating to the campaign of their choice. In Pleasant Grove, Jay Sekulow paved the way for governments to be able to display Ten Commandments monuments, and other monuments of their choosing, in public parks. Through the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow engages the political, legal, and cultural battles facing America today. He routinely works with Members of Congress, advising them on proposed legislation and representing them in critical legal matters. Jay Sekulow has also testified before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation. Also, in addition to being a successful Supreme Court advocate, Jay Sekulow is a highly respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ\u2019s weekly television program. Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles. Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. The Legal Times has named Sekulow one of \u201cThe 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years\u201d and the National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the \u201c100 Most Influential Lawyers\u201d in the United States. In addition, TIME Magazine listed Jay Sekulow as one of the \"25 Most Influential Evangelicals\" in America. Jay Sekulow\u2019s legal work in defense of religious liberties and human rights extends beyond the United States, having founded the ECLJ in Strasbourg, France, which maintains consultative status with the United Nations. He has also opened offices in Pakistan, Africa, and Jerusalem, Israel. Jay Sekulow is a staunch defender of Israel, presenting arguments before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. His efforts in support of Israel\u2019s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks have been commended by Israeli government officials, one official stating, \"Jay was instrumentally-involved in projects that the President of Israel and the Prime Minister put on our national agenda.\" Jay Sekulow also has a passion for educating the next generation of religious liberty advocates. He is a member of the Regent University Law School Faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law and routinely teaches courses on constitutional law and presents guest lectures. Jay Sekulow has also started educational programs in international human rights law in Strasbourg, France and at Handong University in South Korea. Jay Sekulow is a graduate of Mercer University, earning both a bachelor\u2019s degree and doctor of jurisprudence. Sekulow served on the editorial staff of the Mercer Law Review and graduated cum laude. He later earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American Legal History. Jay Sekulow also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, D.C. Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsels full biography and video. Jay Sekulow on Facebook. Jay Sekulow on Twitter. Jay Sekulow on YouTube.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/author\/jay_sekulow"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2796"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2807,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2796\/revisions\/2807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}