Last week, a federal judge in Phoenix upheld Arizona’s 2004 voter ID law, which mandates proof of citizenship for anyone registering to vote. U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver acknowledged that some citizens, especially Latinos and Native Americans, will have trouble registering to vote, but she said that the impact would not be significant.

Nina Perales, of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the lead attorney for the plaintiffs in Gonzales v. Arizona, told the Arizona Star that Judge Silver “came down on the wrong side of the law.” The plaintiffs have 30 days to appeal.

“We’re still digesting the decision,” Perales told News 21. “For us it’s very important to consider our options.”

Anti-illegal immigration groups are applauding the decision. At a message board run by Americans for Legal Immigration (ALIPAC), jubilant members called for other states to pass similar laws.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Advocacy Network, which opposes Prop. 200 and was party to the lawsuit, estimates that 40,000 to 80,000 potential Arizona voters will not be able to vote in November, many because of the voter ID law. One of those voters is Shirley Freeda Preiss, 97, who has become a poster-grandma for disenfranchisement. Priess, who was born in Kentucky before the state started issuing birth certificates, shows the inadvertent impact that Prop. 200 is having on many valid U.S. citizens.

For more background, see “Meet Juan Crow” from News 21.
(Photo from Wikipedia)