Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti on Wednesday proposed that L.A. join a class-action lawsuit against Arizona over its controversial immigration law. The challenge in Phoenix federal court is being carried out by the Mexican American Legal Defense and several civil rights groups.

” Immediate action is needed for the City of Los Angeles to join in this lawsuit by filing an amicus brief,” Garcetti stated in the motion. ” … I therefore move that the City Attorney be requested … to file an amicus brief in the … lawsuit which challenges Arizona's new law requiring police to demand 'papers' from people they stop whom they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S.”

Garcetti's motion was supported by council members Richard Alarcon, Jose Huizar and Ed Reyes.

The May 17 suit argues that the law interferes with federal jurisdiction over the matter, would encourage racial profiling of Latinos, and could violate free speech and the right against illegal searches and seizures.

The City Council has already voted to boycott Arizona businesses.

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