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.
Each year, about 1,100 refugees - people fleeing persecution abroad - arrive in Colorado. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates that 45,000 illegal immigrants were living in Colorado last year, up from 35,000 in 1992. State officials estimate that Colorado's workforce of about 2.1 million includes 173,400 people from other countries Ø± roughly 8 percent of the workforce.