Key part of Ala. immigration law blocked

A federal appeals court Friday blocked a key part of an Alabama law that requires schools to check the immigration status of students, temporarily weakening what was considered the toughest immigration law in the nation.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also blocked a part of the law that allows authorities to charge immigrants who do not carry documents proving their legal status. The three-judge panel let stand a provision that allows police to detain immigrants who are suspected of being in the country illegally.

The ruling was only temporary; a final decision on the law won't likely be made for months. Groups who challenged the law said they were hopeful the judges would eventually block the rest of it.

"Obviously we remain concerned about the remainder of the provisions, and we remain confident that we will eventually get the whole scheme blocked," said Omar Jadwat, an attorney for the ACLU, which challenged the law along with the Obama administration.

Supporters of the law also claimed a partial victory. Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, who championed the law, said the "most effectual parts" of the law will remain in place.

"We've said from the beginning that Alabama will have a strict immigration law and we will enforce it. Alabama will not be a sanctuary state for illegal aliens, and this ruling reinforces that," he said.