Groups sue to block Ala. illegal immigration law

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Civil rights groups have sued in federal court to block Alabama’s new law cracking down on illegal immigration, which supporters and opponents call the strictest measure of its kind in the nation.

The lawsuit, filed today in Huntsville, says the law is of “unprecedented reach” and goes beyond laws passed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana and Georgia. Federal judges already have blocked all or parts of the laws in those states.

Alabama’s law, which takes effect Sept. 1, allows police to arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if the person is stopped for some other reason. It also requires businesses to check the legal status of new workers and requires schools to report the immigration status of students.

The lawsuit asks a judge to declare the law unconstitutional.