Arizona can now require officers to ask for proof of status of all the people they stop regardless of the reason, if they suspect the person is illegally in the country. Law enforcement officials in the state said the Supreme Court decision has made the job much more complicated for street cops, requiring them to not only conduct normal traffic stops, but also additional activities that bring with them a much higher level of public scrutiny.

Critics of the law say the new authority given to the police could lead to the use of racial profiling. A White House administration official, who had said the law was unconstitutional, warned that the law would be closely monitored for violations in federal civil rights. With the police officers of Arizona forced to carry out the new law, yet being careful of civil rights violations, the municipalities that are already cash strapped, worry they might soon have to defend a barrage of lawsuits by civil rights activist, irate motorists and the federal government. In the end that just distracts the police from what they are paid to do, fight crime.

One police chief said he expects many lawsuits to follow and that will mean his street patrol officers will spend more time in the courtroom than on the beat.

The Justice Department said that the Supreme Court justices should start hearing its appeal of a decision made by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta that ruled against the law with a vote of 2 to 1. It said that only the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled it unconstitutional and it would be appropriate for the Supreme Court to review it.

The administration didn’t say why it didn’t take the routine litigation steps that could have slowed down the progress of the challenges to the health care law that could avoid a decision from the current Supreme Court term. It said that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision created a matter that’s important to national interest.

A decision that would deem President Obama’s signature bill unconstitutional months before the election would hurt his chances for reelection. A decision to uphold the law can help and hurt the president as well. It could make voters to boost their efforts to elect candidates that are committed to repeal the health care law.