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On a five to three vote, the Supreme Court knocked out much of Arizona ’ s immigration law Monday-a modest policy victory for the Obama Administration. But on the more important matter of the Constitution, the decision was an 8-0 defeat for the Administration ’ s effort to upset the balance of power between the federal government and the states. In Arizona v. United States, the majority overturned three of the four contested provisions of Arizona ’ s controversial plan to have state and local police enforce federal immigration law. The Constitutional principles that Washington alone has the power to “ establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization ” and that federal laws precede state laws are noncontroversial . Arizona had attempted to fashion state policies that ran parallel to the existing federal ones. Justice Anthony Kennedy, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court ’ s liberals, ruled that the state flew too close to the federal sun. On the overturned provisions the majority held the congress had deliberately “ occupied the field ” and Arizona had thus intruded on the federal ’ s privileged powers. However, the Justices said that Arizona police would be allowed to verify the legal status of people who come in contact with law enforcement. That ’ s because Congress has always envisioned joint federal-state immigration enforcement and