Judge Nixes Injunction During Appeal of Sanctions Ruling

PHOENIX—A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request by business groups to put Arizona’s employer sanctions law on hold while the groups appeal a ruling that upheld the law.

In rejecting the injunction request, U.S. District Judge Neil Wake ruled that the business groups “don’t have a probability of success of appeal, much less a strong probability.”

The 2007 law prohibits businesses from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and suspends or revokes business license penalties for violators. The business groups are seeking to overturn the law.

Wake also said one factor in his latest decision was that the depression of wages for legal workers from illegal immigrants is far greater than the minimal costs of employers complying with the law.

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The law took effect Jan. 1 but prosecutors agreed to not file any enforcement cases before March 1 to allow time for the court challenge.

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