Speaking to reporters in the Arizona State Capitol, Gov. Jan Brewer (R) said the "heart" of the state's immigration law was "vindicated by the highest court of the land."
Gov. Brewer declared that the Supreme Court unanimously backed Section 2B of SB1070, the state's immigration bill, permitting local police to "assist" the federal government in enforcing the nation's immigration laws. She said that the refusal of the Obama administration to protect Arizona's borders left the state "with no other choice."
In Arizona v. United States, the Supreme Court struck down three other provisions that include making it a crime for illegal immigrants to seek work in Arizona, allowing officers to arrest people without a warrant if the officer has probably cause to believe the person is an illegal immigrant and making it a crime for immigrants to be in Arizona without their immigration papers.
The Supreme Court also issued decisions on a case affirming Citizens United and two cases dealing with life sentences for juvenile criminals.
In Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, the Court ruled that the Eighth Amendment prohibits mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles.
In the Montana campaign finance decision, the Court struck down a law limiting corporate campaign spending and reaffirming that Citizens United applied to state campaign finance laws.
On Thursday, the Court will release the remaining decisions for the 2011-2012 session, including the widely anticipated ruling on the Affordable Care Act.