PHOENIX — Immigrant-rights advocates filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging business raids by an Arizona sheriff's office that have led to the arrests of hundreds of immigrant workers on charges of using fake or stolen IDs to get jobs.The lawsuit against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio alleges immigrants living in the U.S. illegally have been singled out in such cases, while only a small number of employers have had court cases brought against them on allegations of illegal hiring.
The advocates aren't seeking money and instead are asking a federal judge to conclude that a state law banning employers from hiring immigrants living in the U.S. illegally is discriminatory and conflicts with federal law. They are seeking a court order prohibiting Arpaio from enforcing that law.