More than two dozen groups now suing Arizona over immigration law

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton in Phoenix is planning to hear oral arguments Thursday on the first of seven separate lawsuits seeking to block the law from taking effect on July 29. And she’ll consider the Obama administration’s request for an injunction next week.

The suits were filed weeks apart, but many center on the same argument: Federal law trumps state law on the issue of immigration.

“I’m not in a position to [speak to] the motivation of others, but there does seem to be an excessive number of lawsuits,” said Dan Pochoda, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, one of more than two dozen plaintiffs involved in a class action lawsuit…

“I don’t see any sign of this being coordinated. All of these people have zeroed in on the battles and forgotten the war. They need to get over it and win the war,” said a top Western Democratic aide.

“This is the nasty underbelly of D.C.,” the aide added. “They have to have a fight to fund their operations, and this is their fight.”