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Ariz. Gov. Brewer Calls Supreme Court Ruling A Win

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Let's return, now, to the governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer. As we heard a moment ago, she's calling this a win, even though the Court struck down most of the Arizona law and said it would wait and see how the show me your papers provision is applied.

GOVERNOR JAN BREWER: Arizona's and every other state's inherent authority to protect and defend its people has been upheld.

INSKEEP: Governor Brewer is one of many Arizona voices responding to the ruling. Here's NPR's Ted Robbins.

TED ROBBINS, BYLINE: Arizona police will now be required to determine the immigration status of people who are stopped for other reasons, if they suspect the person is in the country illegally. In Phoenix, Republican Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio approves.

JOE ARPAIO: I'm happy with the Supreme Court ruling. That just confirms or affirms what we've been doing anyway.

ROBBINS: Arpaio's officers have been arresting suspected illegal immigrants under state smuggling and employer-sanctions laws. In Tucson, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, a Democrat, has not been enforcing those laws, and he opposes SB1070. But Dupnik does cooperate with Border Patrol Agents, and in his jails, immigration and customs enforcement officers.

CLARENCE DUPNIK: It really hasn't made any difference. It's not going to change the way we've operated ever since I've been here.

ROBBINS: Sheriffs won't have the authority to use federal immigration law in the field any longer. Just hours after the court ruling, the Department of Homeland Security said it was suspending so-called 287G field agreements with all Arizona law enforcement. Even though SB1070 forbids racial profiling, the Obama administration fears the newly OK'd portion will lead to it. Profiling is also what has many in the immigrant community worried. Juanita Molina of the Border Action Network says she and others will be looking out for police abuse.

JUANITA MOLINA: We have a community of human rights promoters, or promotores, throughout the state of Arizona. What we do is that we encourage people in our community to come forward with any complaints or concerns in their daily treatment.

ROBBINS: Lawsuits have already been filed challenging SB1070 on grounds it will lead to racial profiling, an issue the court wasn't asked to deal with in this case. Ted Robbins, NPR News, Tucson. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

As supervising editor for Arts and Culture at NPR based at NPR West in Culver City, Ted Robbins plans coverage across NPR shows and online, focusing on TV at a time when there's never been so much content. He thinks "arts and culture" encompasses a lot of human creativity — from traditional museum offerings to popular culture, and out-of-the-way people and events.