Carissa Byrne Hessick

Professor Carissa Byrne Hessick discussed the Supreme Court’s ruling on SB 1070 on Monday, June 25, on the Wisconsin Public Radio program, “At Issue with Ben Merens.”

Hessick cautioned that some people are over-speculating about what the decision means for the so-called “show your papers” segment of the law.

Before the bill was passed, Arizona law enforcement officers had the discretion to investigate an individual’s immigration status if they had reasonable suspicion during a routine traffic stop. The bill required police officers to do so.

“The court said we don’t have enough information to say this part of the law conflicted with state law because the law hasn’t gone into effect yet,” she said. “The court didn’t know how state courts were going to interpret the law and how state law enforcement officers were going to enforce it.”

To listen to the interview, click here.