Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) said Tuesday he thinks Arizona's new immigration law is unconstitutional and that "it doesn't represent the best way forward" when it comes to addressing illegal immigration. He added, however, that the law reflects "what good people will do" when they are left with no other options.
Speaking at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Graham said Congress eventually needs to tackle immigration reform but that it will be "impossible" to achieve reform until citizens in states like Arizona feel that the borders are secure.
"In this environment there is no hope of it passing," he said.
Arizona's new law, signed by the governor on Friday, would require immigrants to carry documents verifying their immigration status. It would also require police officers to question a person about his or her immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" that person may be illegally in the country.
The law has come under fire from activists and politicians across the country, even prompting the city of San Francisco to consider an economic boycott of the state of Arizona. The law is sure to face legal challenges from its opponents who say it encroaches on federal authority to regulate immigration and violates Americans' Constitutional rights.
President Obama has called the law "misguided" and instructed the Justice Department to examine its implications.
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