The states enforce it once you set foot into their state.  The feds are supposed to enforce it at the border (that Arizona is a border state is immaterial).

How can the feds disrupt?  So you are not the only one confused.  You would think the feds (who have the Border Guard plus the FBI) would welcome local law enforcement assistance, and in most cases they do.  But this is not about the law (it is in black and white), but Politics.  The Obama administration is playing the race card for its own political gains, nothing more.  So yes, the feds are objecting to states doing their jobs.  And the feds are not doing their job.

The feds have jurisdiction to enforce federal laws in all states.  There just is not enough of them so they rely on the state constabulary to do most of the work.  The crimes will be prosecuted in federal courts, not state, but it does not matter if Smokey The Bear arrests you or the G-Men.  The crime is the same.

Edit previous response: What he said (Charles-in-Charge).  he explained it better.

The (apparently unrecognized) irony in this is just breathtaking.

Duh!  Doh!

This is rapidly becoming the new 'third rail' for a bunch of apparently-scared-shitless Republicans.  Ah, well.  Gotta love identity politics, driven by the hysteria-loving media as it is.

Once arrested a background check is done through the NCIC computer data base. Finding out if the person is American born is not that hard thanks to DHS. A simple check of your SSN and we can pull up your entire life. The problem is that so called "open cities" make it easier for criminals to live and thrive in the US. In those cities if I get popped for say selling drugs and hint that I might be illegal then in a lot of cases I get the minimum and sent on my way. Whereas American citizens would go to jail. That is discrimination!

Don't confuse the race baiters with the facts!  It makes them flustered.

Again, that is State authorities' responsibilities to enforce among their own policement the checkup of everybody arrested. I don't mind that, you gotta know who is the arrested person.

Seems to me the legislation will allow policemen to do this to people other than those who are arrested.

When you get pulled over and asked for your paper, it's because you are driving a car. Driving a car in an inrhently (?) dangerous activity that might cause harm to you or the people around you if you are not careful. This is why we disallow people from going too fast. Or driving and drinking. Or some people are 100% disallowed to drive, period.

But there ain't any danger related to the activity of... well, you know, being. Can a policemen simply ask me for my paper while walking down the streets?

No.  Pure & simple, no.

Any cop who wants to abuse his authority can do so.  Could do so before this law was passed.  If caught abusing his authority, however, he loses his job (or worse).  I can think of at least half a dozen cops fired &/or prosecuted for abuse of authority of some sort in the past 10 years in metro Phoenix.

So far, all the panic about this law has been over hypothetical fear based on false assumptions.  Then there's the pathetic political pandering going on which, like bad cops, will never completely go away.

But a bunch of illegal immigrants just might go away now, or not come here in the first place.

Obama is doing a wonderful job at this by putting "fear" into peoples minds over this bill. It's amazing how people will bitch about "fear tactics" but will ignore them when their own party uses them. Obama is praying on the concept of "this might happen" as a way to insult the Arizona local Gov't for basically making him look bad because, as has been pointed out, this bill was passed because the Federal Gov't did nothing to fix this problem.

Do you consider people crossing into our country from, say, Mexico without going thru the proper channels illegal? If so, please explain how you would not want to go after someone who is obviously breaking the law? Also explain how you could find out if someone did break the law without asking for some form of identification?

Do you think it's some form of discrimination only because those being questioned are Hispanics when the ones crossing the border illegally thru Arizona are likely to be Hispanics since Mexico and South American are Hispanic nations for the most part?

I would simply like to hear a decent solution of how to catch a criminal (because breaking a law makes you a criminal technically) that can only be found if questioned without inconveniencing the innocent.

A little perspective.

Daiwa, so the Obama administration has already passed a law requiring people to prove their citizenship... So I wonder how Obama supporters justify the contradiction with the Arizona law?

We're Nazi's, they're not.  That's how.

Now that I have read the language of the law, I support it.  In fact, reading it pretty much dispells all the arugments against it.

"For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency of this state or a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency of a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person, except if the determination may hinder or obstruct an investigation."

"A law enforcement official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state may not solely consider race, color or national origin in implementing the requirements of this subsection except to the extent permitted by the United States or Arizona Constitution."

http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2R/bills/SB1070S.pdf

damn!  I was going to make that point.

Foiled again by Quicks Draw Daiwa!

But I will add - The Obama administration is forcing EVERY American to produce papers.  For no reason what-so-ever.  Every American is required to prove proof of Insurance, without probably cause.

And the idiot race baiters are crying about depriving criminals of their miranda rights?  Obama already did - TO ALL AMERICANS!

Instead of the 'Stop the Hate' signs we need some 'Stop the Hysterical Bullshit' signs.