High Court to Issue Immigration Ruling

The Supreme Court has agreed to rule on Arizona's controversial law targeting illegal immigrants. The final ruling could have implications for the similar laws passed in other states.

The Supreme Court has said it will rule for the first time on one of several tough, new state immigration laws, with a decision coming in the middle of the 2012 presidential election campaign.

Potentially deepening political divisions over the contentious immigration policy issue, the court will decide if key parts of an Arizona crackdown can proceed. The ruling could have implications for similar tough laws adopted recently in other states.

The law requires police to check the immigration status of anyone they detain and suspect of being in the nation illegally. Other parts require immigrants to carry their papers at all times and ban people without proper documents from soliciting for work in public places.

The justices are likely to hear arguments in the case in April, with a ruling due by July.

About 11 million illegal immigrants are believed to be in the United States and immigration is a major political issue, especially in states such as Arizona that border Mexico.

States with laws similar to Arizona's include South Carolina, Alabama, Utah, Georgia and Indiana. The Supreme Court in May upheld a different Arizona law that allows the state to shut down businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

The Supreme Court case is Arizona v. U.S., No. 11-182.