Washington, Jun 25 -

Today, Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Arizona law, SB 1070. The Supreme Court struck three of the four provisions of the law; however, it upheld section 2(B), the specific portion that requires local law enforcement to ask people for proof of immigration status if they "reasonably suspect" an individual to be in the country illegally. Below is his statement:

“Today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on the Arizona law, better known as SB 1070, is a move in the right direction. However, the unanimous decision to uphold the ‘Show Me Your Papers’ provision that allows a police officer or local law enforcement agency to ask for the legal status of a person being detained or arrested hurts communities across our country. This ruling underscores the need for Congress to take up this federal issue and work on a Comprehensive Immigration Reform package that addresses it.

“I call on my colleagues – both Democrats and Republicans – to do the right thing and address Comprehensive Immigration Reform. It is unfortunate that partisan politics being played by the Republican majority in the House of Representatives does not allow us, those with common sense, to move meaningful and important immigration legislation forward.

“For 26 ½ years, I served as a Border Patrol agent and then sector chief and worked to uphold immigration laws in this country, and today, I know first-hand the dire need to reform these same laws. I will continue to support Comprehensive Immigration Reform that secures our country, unites families, helps our country’s economic prosperity and ends a shadow world for millions of people living here.”