South Carolina Attorney General praises key part of upheld immigration law

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued a statement this morning praising the fact that a key part of the immigration law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in its Arizona law decision.

The court did not reject the provision requiring police to check on the immigration status of someone they suspect is not in the United States legally. South Carolina has a similar law.

Wilson said the decision “contains a major victory for law enforcement in South Carolina.”

He added “the most important element of South Carolina’s law, the ability of law enforcement to verify a suspected illegal alien’s status upon an ‘authorized lawful detention,’ was found to be Constitutional on its face.”

The decision upholds the “show me your papers” requirement for the moment. But it takes the teeth out of it by prohibiting police officers from arresting people on minor immigration charges, The Associated Press in Washington reported.

Wilson called on the need for comprehensive legal immigration reform, saying the federal government must step up border patrols “or allow states to combat illegal immigration.”