Arizona immigration law has supporters all over US

Washington Times:

Despite being waylaid by the courts, Arizona's immigration law is still growing as a powerful political force, shaping elections across the country and creating a new generation of campaign stars in and out of the state.

The law's sponsor has become a sought-after kingmaker in Republican primaries, one of the chief legal advisers is running for statewide office in Kansas, and several Arizona sheriffs backing the law have earned substantial television airtime. Maybe most obvious, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has used the law to take control of her race and all but guarantee she'll win in November.

"The truth is, probably 80-90 percent of Americans support this bill," said state Sen. Russell Pearce, the law's chief sponsor, who has been at the forefront of Arizona's immigration fights for years but said this battle has pushed his profile to new heights and has staying power. "I suspect this will be an issue through the presidential election in 2012. It's not going to go away."

It's known as S.B.1070 after the Senate bill Mr. Pearce wrote that became the basis for the law. It was amended later by another law and then, at the end of July, altered by a federal court, which blocked key provisions.

Among the halted parts were requirements that all immigrants must carry proof of legal residence and police check the legal status of those they encountered during routine enforcement whom they suspected of being in the country illegally.

Those opposed to the law mobilized quickly and called for boycotts of Arizona, and some major cities have announced they are taking part in the boycotts. Even some Major League Baseball players have said next year's all-star game should be moved from Phoenix in protest.

But after years of massive illegal immigration, the law struck a chord with voters nationwide, and it joins a small set of state laws throughout the years that have gained instant nationwide recognition.

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... former Rep. Nathan Deal had been polling in the single digits through April. But several days after Arizona's law was signed, he announced that he would pursue the same policy in Georgia. That was when his standing in the polls began to rise, culminating in his winning the nomination in an August runoff.

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... in Arizona, where the law remains the focal point of state elections and even the boycott has become controversial. Democratic candidates are under fire for getting campaign support from unions that have joined the boycott.

While the law has had an effect on state races, I think it will also have an effect on Congressional races. There maybe enough support to make the requirements nationwide and to investigate the leadership of ICE. With the kind of support the law has across the country it could be real trouble for Democrats this year and in 2012.