Free Republic

PHOENIX - More than a dozen valley car washes were raided over the weekend -- managers, not just workers, were the targets. Federal agents served search-and-arrest warrants Saturday at 16 locations associated with Danny's Family Car Wash and the company's staffing service provider, HR Betty. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents rounded up more than 200 employees. Many did not have criminal backgrounds and were released. The workers still jailed were shackled and still in their uniforms when they went before a federal judge Monday afternoon. ICE says the investigation targets the owners and leaders of the two businesses and...

Activists are asking the Phoenix Union High School District to prevent school resource officers from enforcing of the state's new immigration law on campus. The law, which goes into effect July 29, requires police to question anyone they suspect is in the country illegally and makes it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally. Linda Brown of the Arizona Advocacy Network asked Phoenix Union board members on Thursday to show leadership and restore dignity to students by blocking school officers from complying with the law. Phoenix Union lawyer Lynne C. Adams says school-resource officers are employees of the...

About a half-dozen civil rights groups have asked a federal court to block Arizona from implementing its new law cracking down on illegal immigration until a ruling is made on its constitutionality. The groups' late Friday filing argues that delaying the scheduled July 29 implementation of the law would discourage other states from enacting similar legislation until the constitutionality issue is resolved. Other states including Texas, Utah and Minnesota have talked about passing laws similar to Arizona's, which requires police enforcing other laws to check immigration status if they suspect someone is in the country illegally. The groups that made...

Supporters of Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigration are planning to rally at the state Capitol on Saturday. The rally follows dueling events last weekend that drew thousands of opponents and supporters of the law. This weekend's rally could be muted by soaring temperatures expected to hit 107 degrees. Rally organizer Daniel Smeriglio says the rally is a grass roots effort and participants are traveling from around the U.S. to attend. Smeriglio says they will be providing lots of water and are asking participants to bring umbrellas and wear sunscreen. Former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado, GOP...

A Grammy Award-winning rock band has canceled their upcoming concert in Arizona to protest the state's new immigration law. Los Lobos decided to cancel their performance scheduled for June 10 at Scottsdale's Talking Stick Resort to boycott the new law. A representative from the band's booking agent confirmed the decision Thursday. The band released a written statement saying they feel the law will "inevitably lead to unfair racial profiling and possible abuse of people who just happen to look Latino." Los Lobos says they regret the inconvenience it may have caused their fans and the organizers of the event, but...

Eight people in California who chained themselves together to protest Arizona's immigration law have been arrested outside Santa Ana's federal building. Police took them into custody Thursday after they tied up traffic and refused to leave the street. About 60 activists called on Santa Ana to declare itself a sanctuary city for immigrants and criticized the new Arizona immigration law. It requires police to ask people about their immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" that they're in the country illegally. A police spokesman says the eight protesters will be cited and released if they cooperate with officers at the...

TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) – When he ran for U.S. president two years ago, Republican John McCain told town hall meetings across the United States that illegal immigrants were "all God's children." But at a church hall in Tucson last weekend, he spoke up for a tough new Arizona law that seeks to drive those undocumented busboys and landscapers from the desert state where he is battling to hold on to his U.S. Senate seat. "The polls show 60, 70, 80 percent of the American people support Arizonans saying 'secure our borders,'" McCain said to a clatter of applause. Arizona's migrant...

Last week, the city council of Austin, Texas passed a resolution to boycott Arizona over its new immigration-enforcement law. For those who don’t know much about Texas politics, Austin is as liberal as the rest of the state is conservative. However, in an embarrassing display of just how marginalized the Austin liberals have become, the local newspaper has run 20 letters from readers regarding the council’s boycott — all of them opposed to it. While the Austin city council has likely not read the bill — and neither has the White House — Barack Obama’s political organizing group has decided...

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert said Tuesday that he doesn’t think the city should get involved in protesting Arizona's controversial new immigration law.