Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments On Arizona Immigration Law

Arizona's controversial immigration law will indeed be getting a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court, it was just announced.

Long expected, the court's decision to weigh in could help settle whether the law — known as SB 1070 for its bill number in the Arizona Senate — encroaches on federal law because, in large part, of its provision that would require the police to determine the immigration status of a person they have detained and whether the suspect is in the country illegally.

A federal appeals court previously blocked several of the law's provisions, including the one involving checking the immigration status. The Obama administration has challenged the law. The state has wanted the High Court to take up the issue.

Justice Elena Kagan will be recused and did not take part in the decision to hear the case because when she was U.S. Solicitor General she was involved in the administration's decision to challenge SB 1070.

Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.