Arizona's Strict Immigration Law
In April, Arizona's legislature passed the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods" Act, dubbed Arizona SB 1070. The bill made it a state misdemeanor for an alien to not be carrying immigration documents, and allows Arizona law enforcement to check suspected illegal aliens for their documentation. Critics panned the legislation as tantamount to legalizing racial profiling — a charge shrugged off by Jan Brewer, Arizona's Republican governor — and protestors marched at rallies in over 70 cities. Mayoral offices in some of America's major cities like Los Angeles and Seattle led the call for boycotts of Arizona and companies based there. The law has been challenged by the Justice Department and will likely be taken up in the Supreme Court in the coming weeks.