NOT SO FAST

Obama Challenges Ala. Immigration Law

Asks court to block controversial measure.

Get ready for the next battle over immigration. The Obama administration asked a federal appeals court to block enforcement of Alabama's new immigration law, saying it will encourage discrimination against foreign-born citizens, among other problems. In a challenge filed with the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, the Department of Justice wrote that Alabama's “attempts to drive aliens 'off the grid' will only impede the removal process established by federal law,” and that the law could affect diplomatic relations with other countries. The law allows authorities to question people suspected of being in the country illegally and hold them without bond. It also allows schools to check students' immigration status; thousands of Hispanic students have stayed home since it took effect.