U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton Hears First Arguments in Court Challenges to SB 1070; GOP Steps Up Effort to Fight Federal Lawsuit

A couple of local stories: "Judge hears first lawsuit against SB1070," and "1070 demonstrations outside court house as lawsuit arguments begin."

But see also Politico, "GOP Fights Immigration Lawsuit":

As Arizona’s controversial immigration law enters the courtroom, Capitol Hill Republicans are trying to intervene in the legal brawl.

This week, Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and David Vitter of Louisiana introduced legislation that would block the Obama administration from suing Arizona over its new law to crack down on illegal immigration. Sen. John McCain of Arizona donated $5,000 to a legal defense fund to fight challenges to the law.

And the GOP-dominated House Immigration Reform Caucus will file a friend of the court brief early next week, backing Republican Gov. Jan Brewer as she seeks to defend the law from a Justice Department lawsuit.

“Instead of spending time and taxpayer resources on a lawsuit, the Obama administration should be securing the border,” said Wesley Denton, a spokesman for DeMint. “The president and his administration are trying to invalidate a law that simply enforces federal law.”

Both parties are accusing the other of playing politics with the immigration issue and the Arizona law.

“It’s political opportunism,” Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said of Republicans. His district runs along the U.S.-Mexico border and he has called for economic boycotts of the state until the law is overturned. “It’s a very divisive issue not only in Arizona but obviously in other parts of the country. Showing support for [Arizon’s law] is supposed to show hardness on immigration, but it’s appropriate that they wait and see whether this law passes constitutional muster.”

More at the link.