This view of the Constitution has been rejected by the federal courts, which consistently have held that under the Constitution, the states do not have the power to nullify federal laws. The courts have rejected the compact theory, finding that the Constitution was not a contract among the states.
Manzano, Jr. pleaded not guilty in court yesterday to charges he aided and abetted illegal immigrants and lied to a federal officer. His father remains a fugitive. For NPR News, I'm Amita Sharma in San Diego. Copyright Â© 2011 NPR.
The GOP plan, dubbed the Security, Enforcement, and Compassion United in Reform Efforts, or SECURE Act, would offer three-year work permits to 690,000 DACA illegal-immigrants in exchange for ending chain migration, requiring mandatory screening to exclude illegals from jobs, closing asylum loopholes used by migrants to get into the United States, and penalizing so-called âsanctuary citiesâ which refuse to cooperate with federal immigration-enforcement agencies.