PHOENIX (KGUN9-TV/AP) - A coalition of civil rights groups says it has agreed to end its challenge of Arizona's 2010 immigration law in a deal in which the state issued guidelines on how police are to enforce the statute's most contentious section.
An agreement to end the last of seven challenges to the law will be filed later Thursday.
The deal centers on the law's requirement that officers question the immigration status of people suspected of being in the country illegally.
While the courts barred enforcement of other sections of the law, the questioning requirement was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, despite racial profiling concerns raised by critics.
A draft version of the guidelines includes requirement that officers document the reasons for their suspicion that a person is here illegally.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said, "We have succeeded by keeping the key provisions of SB 1070 in place. Our goal while negotiating this settlement was to find a common sense solution that protects Arizona taxpayers while helping our great state move forward.”
Under the settlement, an Informal Attorney General Opinion will be issued providing guidance and clarity to Arizona law enforcement agencies and officers on how to comply with the key provision of SB 1070 section 2(b).
