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SF Protesters Take Supreme Court Immigration Hearings Personally

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— Protesters took to the steps of San Francisco City Hall Wednesday morning to oppose Arizona's controversial immigration law, while the U.S. Supreme Court held hearings over the constitutionality of SB 1070.

The Arizona law has come under fire because it requires police officers to check the immigration status of people they detain and makes it a crime for illegal immigrants to work and not carry documents indicating their status.

The Obama administration argues that only the federal government can regulate immigration, but for protesters in San Francisco, it's really about discrimination, not who gets to do what.

KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:

Eric Mar, a city supervisor, was amongst the protesters who had a chance to voice their opinions, saying that the law is nothing more than racial profiling and targets people of color without mercy.

Questions and comments by the Supreme Court justices suggest they don't think it's unconstitutional for local police to check immigration status, but they are concerned about making it a crime for illegal residents to work or not carry documents.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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