Attorney General Alan Wilson: Immigration Law Ruling is a "Significant Victory"

(COLUMBIA, S.C. – November 15, 2012) South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson released the following statement on today’s ruling regarding Section 6 of the state’s immigration law:

“This action is a significant victory for South Carolina’s law enforcement community.  Lifting the injunction on Section 6 means police officers and sheriff’s deputies now have an important tool to assist them in doing their job and for protecting South Carolinians.

“As the District Court correctly stated, Section 6(A) of Act 69 mandates that a state or local law enforcement officer who lawfully stops a person for a criminal offense and has a ‘reasonable suspicion’ that ‘the person is unlawfully present in the United States’ must make a ‘reasonable effort’ to determine that person’s immigration status.

“Giving law enforcement this ability will make our state a better, safer place for all South Carolinians.”