LA Times: Supreme Court appears divided over state laws against illegal immigration

If Justice Anthony M. Kennedy sides with the court's liberal bloc on Arizona's 'business death penalty' for companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants more than once, it could signal trouble for other state and local immigration laws.

By David G. Savage, Tribune Washington Bureau
December 9, 2010

Reporting from Washington — The Supreme Court's showdown over whether states can aggressively enforce laws against illegal immigrants may have ended in a draw Wednesday.

If so, Arizona's 3-year-old law that cracks down on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers will stand. It could serve as a model for other states and cities that seek to adopt stricter enforcement measures.

But if Justice Anthony M. Kennedy joins with his more liberal colleagues, as he did for part of Wednesday's argument, it could signal trouble in the future for other laws targeting illegal immigrants.

Link to LA Times article.