BIRMINGHAM, Ala (Reuters) ? A federal judge on Wednesday blocked parts of Alabama's crackdown on illegal immigration but let stand a provision requiring public schools to determine the legal residency of children.
The Alabama law is widely seen as the toughest state measure on illegal immigration.
Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn ruled the state could require police to detain people suspected of being in the United States illegally if they cannot produce proper documentation when stopped for any reason.
She also refused to block the provision requiring public schools to determine, by reviewing birth certificates or sworn affidavits, the legal residency status of students upon enrollment.
But the ruling temporarily prevents the state from making it a crime to knowingly transport or harbor an illegal immigrant.
President Barack Obama's administration, church leaders and civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups filed lawsuits seeking to block the law, saying it violated the U.S. Constitution and would turn into criminals Alabama residents who interact with those in the country without documents.
The law's supporters argue the federal government's failure to crack down on illegal immigration forced the state to take action to protect its borders and jobs.
Federal judges have previously blocked key parts of other immigration laws passed in Georgia, Arizona, Utah and Indiana.
Critics of the Alabama law reiterated concerns on Wednesday about the new requirements for law enforcement and schools, saying the provisions will wreak havoc on resources and put personal pressure on educators.
"The teachers already have tremendous responsibilities and now must take on the responsibility of being immigration officials," said David Stout, spokesman for the Alabama Education Association teachers union.
Doug Jones, former U.S. Attorney for Alabama's Northern District, said the provisions would open the door to "selective prosecutions, racial profiling and denial of educational opportunities, despite the law's statements to the contrary."
Major backers of the law could not be immediately reached for comment on the ruling.
(Additional reporting by Verna Gates; Writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Greg McCune and Jerry Norton)
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