 A federal judge on Wednesday upheld most of the sections of Alabama’s far-reaching immigration law that had been challenged by the Obama administration, including portions that had been blocked in other states. The decision, by Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn of Federal District Court in Birmingham, makes it much more likely that the fate of the recent flurry of state laws against illegal immigration will eventually be decided by the Supreme Court. Robert Bentley arrives for a news conference outside the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery, Ala., Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. She blocked a broad provision that outlawed the harboring or transporting of illegal immigrants and another that barred illegal immigrants from enrolling in or attending public universities. Legal experts expected the Justice Department to appeal. “We will continue to evaluate state immigration-related laws and will not hesitate to bring suit if, in fact, a state creates its own immigration policy or enforces state laws in a manner that interferes with federal immigration law.” 
 
 The Alabama law was the latest, and broadest, of the state laws against illegal immigration, going further than one passed in Arizona. Alabama Republicans have long sought to clamp down on illegal immigration and passed the law earlier this year after gaining control of the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. Bentley signed it, saying it was vital to protect jobs of legal residents. The judge refused to block a section of the law that requires public schools to verify students' citizenship and report overall statistics to the state, but the immediate effect isn't clear since schools have already started.
– Starting today, Alabama police will enforce what many are calling the US’ toughest immigration law. A federal judge upheld key aspects of the law yesterday, including allowing authorities to question and detain suspected illegal immigrants and requiring officials to check public school students’ immigration status. The governor says those portions of the law, which was passed earlier this year, will be enforced immediately. Despite the fact that other parts of the law are still on hold, it is already stricter than similar laws in Arizona, Utah, Indiana, and Georgia. Three lawsuits, including one from President Obama’s administration, have been filed against the law, and the judge’s ruling will likely be appealed. Other parts of the law that are going into effect include making it a crime to not carry proper alien documentation, forbidding contracts with illegal immigrants, and forbidding state and local agencies from doing business with undocumented immigrants. The AP and the Montgomery Advertiser have details on the portions of the law that are still blocked while waiting for a final ruling. The New York Times notes that the judge’s ruling means it’s very likely that the fate of all such state immigration laws will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.