45 people were arrested in the protests, held in Arizona’s capital city, Phoenix. The main marches took place outside the city’s federal court, in support to the decision of judge Susan Bolton, who recently suspended some of the sections of the law, which partially went into effect last Thursday.

The judge limited the power granted to the police under the law, to arrest any undocumented immigrant and to decide on his/her deportation. She said the law is constitutional, so she did not give way to the demand of the Hispanic community and civil rights groups, who claim that the law means a return to racial profiling as it allows the arrest based on the physical traits.

The law also provides the arrest of undocumented immigrants for six months, and the possibility of imposing fines before deporting them from the US.
The hardliner Arizona governor, Jan Brewer, said she is willing to appeal the court ruling. Her decision was also backed by the ultra conservative “Tea Party”, which appeared at the governor’s office joined by Vietnam War veterans, to express their support.

On Monday, amid the controversy, the first military of the National Guard promised by the federal government began to appear, to limit the flow of undocumented immigrations through the Mexican border.

So far the first 140 military have appeared. The number will increase to up to 1,200 soldiers promised by President Obama.

Meanwhile, the President has expressed his public opposition to the law, which targets a large number of the state’s population. An estimated 12 per cent of the residents of Arizona could be undocumented immigrants.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/459768...