Petitions vs. Ariz. immigration law dropped

PHOENIX — The two proposed referendum drives challenging Arizona’s new sweeping law targeting illegal immigration are being abandoned, organizers said yesterday.

Andrew Chavez, a professional petition circulator involved in one of the efforts, said its backers pulled the plug after concluding they might not be able to time their petition filings in such a way as to put the law on hold pending a 2012 public vote.

Jon Garrido, the chief organizer of the other drive, attributed its end to a belief that the law would have been subject to legal protections under Arizona’s Constitution if approved by Arizona voters.

The law takes effect July 29 unless blocked by court action being sought under several pending legal challenges filed by civil-rights groups and others.

Its provisions include requiring that police enforcing another law must question a person about his or her immigration status if there is reasonable suspicion that the person is in the United States illegally. It also makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/05/11/foes_drop_petition_drives_to_hobble_ariz_immigration_law/