Arizona transgender bathroom bill won't move

PHOENIX (AP) — The sponsor of an Arizona bill targeting transgendered people who want to use bathrooms of the gender they identify with says he's giving up on the issue this Legislative session.

Republican Rep. John Kavanagh said Wednesday there's concern in his caucus about some of his proposal's definitions, so it will have to be shelved until next year.

Kavanagh caused a national uproar in March when he proposed the bathroom privacy language.

The original bill would have made it a crime for a transgendered person to use a bathroom other than the one designated for his or her birth sex.

After an outcry from advocacy groups, Kavanagh changed the measure to instead shield businesses from civil or criminal liability if they ban people from restrooms that don't match their birth sex.

Via Yahoo News!

Hackers target Arizona law enforcement

The hacker group Lulzsec recently hacked into PBS' website, leaving this message to visitors.The group says they released the documents in response to Arizona immigration lawThe group releases numerous documents on ThursdayA law enforcement official says the release put officers and their families in harm's way

(CNN) -- The hacker group LulzSec has alarmed police in Arizona this week after releasing sensitive information about officers.

The group said they posted the information in response to Arizona's controversial immigration law.

"We are releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement," the group said in a statement. "We are targeting AZDPS (Arizona Department of Public Safety) specifically because we are against SB 1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona."

The Arizona Highway Patrol Association said the release of the documents is unsafe for officers.

"Law enforcement officials go to many lengths to protect their identities," states Jimmy Chavez, president of the organization "These individuals maliciously released confidential information knowing the safety of DPS employees, and their families, would be compromised."

The controversial bill, Arizona Senate Bill 1070, passed last year but was quickly challenged in court by the Justice Department. The measure would have required local police, while enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of anyone they suspected of being undocumented.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit placed an injunction on parts of the measure in April saying that those parts overstepped Arizona's authority.

In its lawsuit, the Justice Department challenged only six of the Arizona law's provisions, meaning others went into effect in July.

Among the provisions given the go-ahead were a ban on "sanctuary cities," or municipalities with laws or policies that render them relatively safe for undocumented immigrants. A provision making it illegal to hire day laborers if doing so impedes traffic and a provision dealing with sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants also went into effect.

CNN's Anna Rhett Miller and Alta Spells contributed to this report

CNN

McCain blames some Arizona wildfires on illegal immigrants

(CNN) -- U.S. Sen. John McCain is blaming illegal immigrants for starting some of the wildfires that have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres in Arizona.

"There is substantial evidence that some of these fires have been caused by people who have crossed our border illegally," McCain, R-Arizona, said Saturday at a press conference. "The answer to that part of the problem is to get a secure border."

The Arizona senator, however, did not say what the evidence is, prompting a swift rebuke from Latino civil rights advocates.

"It's easier to fan the flames of intolerance, especially in Arizona," said Randy Parraz, a civil rights advocate who ran unsuccessfully against McCain as a Democratic candidate in 2010.

Parraz called McCain's remarks "careless and reckless" but not entirely surprising given the political climate in Arizona. The Latino advocate is co-founder of Citizens for a Better Arizona, a group trying the recall the legislator who authored the state's controversial anti-illegal immigration law.

Parraz said McCain "should know better" than to make such an accusation without presenting any facts.

McCain said that illegal immigrants set such fires either to send signals, keep warm or distract law enforcement agents. But he did not specify which fires allegedly had been started by illegal immigrants, nor did he identify his sources or provide details of the "substantial" evidence he cited.

Firefighters are currently battling five wildfires that have burned a combined 732,427 acres in Arizona, according to InciWeb, an online interagency database that tracks fires, floods and other disasters. The fires are under investigation and suspects have not been named. However, local media outlets have reported anecdotal cases of fires breaking out in areas where illegal immigrants have been known to cross the border.

Parraz said it is particularly distressing that immigrants are being blamed for destructive fires at a time when many are also being targeted given the state's unemployment, foreclosure and other economic issues.

"People are looking for someone to blame," he said, claiming it is too easy and convenient to target what he called one of Arizona's "most vulnerable populations."

Angelo Falcon, the president of the National Institute for Latino Policy, criticized McCain for what he called "increasingly blatant" political opportunism.

"The degree of irresponsible political pandering by Sen. McCain has no limits," Falcon said in an email to CNN. "With the lack of evidence, he might as well also blame aliens from outer space for the fires."

CNN

Fire-displaced residents in Arizona community return

Alpine, nestled among aspen and spruce, will reopen at 10 a.m., according to the Apache County Sheriff's Office.Residents of eastern Arizona hamlet alllowed homeThey were forced to flee large Wallow fireRed-flag alerts make for critical fire conditions in Arizona, New Mexico

Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- Residents of a picturesque mountain community will be allowed to return home Saturday amid continued progress against a massive eastern Arizona wildfire.

Alpine, nestled among aspen and spruce, will reopen at 10 a.m., according to the Apache County Sheriff's Office. The community has a population of about 300, but many more seasonal visitors were forced to leave earlier this month.

The Wallow Fire, at 500,409 acres, was 38% contained.

A red-flag alert through the weekend indicates firefighting conditions may prove difficult. Wind gusts could top 40 miles per hour.

The 200-plus residents of Nutrioso, not far from Alpine, were allowed to go home Wednesday.

Conditions will be especially difficult Sunday at the Monument fire just south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, according to Glenn Lader of the National Weather Service office in Tucson. The blaze grew dramatically Friday, racing down from canyons and gobbling parched grasslands and brush.

Relentless winds have spread the 19,335-acre fire that has torched at least 40 homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds. It was 15% contained Saturday morning.

The Monument fire has spread across the Huachuca Mountains near the Mexican border.

The area is known as the "Sky Islands" region.

"These mountain 'islands,' forested ranges separated by vast expanses of desert and grassland plains, are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world," according to the Sky Island Alliance, a conservation group.

Garry Foss, who operates Oaks of the Wild West nursery in Hereford, a community just east of the fire, said grasses 2 to 3 feet tall have not seen rain since December, making for a ready fire fuel source.

Sierra Vista, home to the Army's Fort Huachuca, has had 0.13 inches of rain this year, according to Lader, compared with 2.5 to 3 inches in a normal year. There's no rain in the forecast.

"I'm trying to sit it out," Foss said, adding that he now has to drive east to Bisbee and northwest to reach Sierra Vista. "This grass is so dry."

Much of Highway 92 south of Sierra Vista was ordered closed. A brush fire was reported on Fort Huachuca.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, meanwhile, issued emergency declarations for the Monument fire and another blaze, Horseshoe II, making Cochise County eligible for $100,000 toward response and recovery expenses.

CNN

Higher fire risk for Arizona, New Mexico

A combination of high winds and low humidity pose an extreme risk for fire in Arizona and New Mexico on Friday.Both states are under a fire watchDays after evacuation is lifted, Eagar residents prepare to leave againMonument Fire in southern Arizona burns 11,600 acres and is 17% containedMonument Fire forces the evacuation of hundreds

(CNN) -- Arizona and New Mexico face a heightened risk of fire as strong winds are forecast to sweep through both states Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

The relentless winds threaten to spread an 11,600-acre fire in southern Arizona that torched 40 homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds on Thursday.

The winds could undo some of the progress made by crews battling the Wallow blaze that has burned an area of the Apache - Sitgreaves National Forest.

"Yes it is a threat. Anything could happen," said Terry Stemmler, a spokesman for the Southwest Incident Management Team, which is battling the latter of the two blazes.

Stemmler said crews are faced with four straight days of red flag warnings that started Thursday with the return of strong winds to a dry region. A red flag warning means weather conditions -- high winds and low humidity -- pose an extreme risk for fire.

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"This whole part of the country is in extreme drought," said Dale Thompson, a spokesman for fire crews. "Grass will take off like gasoline."

The National Weather Service placed such a warning on much of eastern Arizona, from the Mexico border to the Utah state line for Friday.

It issued a red flag alert for much of western and northeastern New Mexico, while the remainder of that state was put under a fire weather watch, where the risk is less severe.

High winds sparked a spot fire Thursday just south of the town of Eagar, Arizona. The incident prompted authorities to issue a pre-evacuation notice to residents of 230 homes on the south side of the city, Stemmler said. That means the residents should prepare to abandon their homes if ordered to do so.

Eagar residents just returned home Sunday, four days after the spread of the so-called Wallow fire forced them to evacuate.

As of Thursday night, the Wallow Fire had scorched 487,016 acres in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, the vast majority of it in the Apache - Sitgreaves National Forest on the Arizona side, authorities said.

The blaze, which is 33% contained, became the largest wildfire in Arizona on Tuesday.

To the south, the much smaller Monument Fire has burned 11,600 acres and is only 17% contained, according to InciWeb, the online interagency incident database.

The Monument Fire roared in the Huachuca Mountains near the Mexican border south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, on Thursday. Wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour were reported in the area, and people in 1,700 of approximately 3,230 homes were ordered out.

Some residents did not want to leave their homes.

"We had a situation where a family said they were staying behind," said Carol Capas, a spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff's Office. "We got a teenage daughter who later called us from that home and said she didn't want to be there so our officers went over there and got her out."

The sheriff's office urged residents to be patient.

"Public safety officials are doing everything possible to get people to safety in a timely and professional manner, so the cooperation of the public is critical," the agency said.

CNN's Samuel Gardner III, Dave Alsup and Phil Gast contributed to this report.

CNN

Arizona residents evacuated by wildfire allowed to go home

(CNN) -- After 13 days of staying in campers, trailers or with out-of-town relatives to escape a raging wildfire, the 200-plus residents of Nutrioso, Arizona, will be allowed to go home Wednesday morning.

Officials with an interagency team fighting a massive blaze in eastern Arizona said late Tuesday the evacuation order issued June 2 for Nutrioso had been lifted. Those carrying forms of identification showing they live in Nutrioso will be allowed to return to the town after 10 a.m. Wednesday, officials said.

The decision to lift the order came at the end of a day in which the blaze was officially recorded as the worst wildfire in Arizona history and firefighters claimed to have made significant strides in containing it.

The Wallow Fire, which has scorched more than 733 square miles in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, was 20% contained as of late Tuesday, officials said.

"The fire line around Nutrioso is a nice black," said Peter Frenzen, a spokesman for the Southwest Incident Management team, which is fighting the blaze. "That's just testimony to the tremendous work going on around all the threatened communities."

The black on a map signifies that the fire has been stopped outside of the town.

"I was totally surprised," Nutrioso evacuee Alan Miller told CNN affiliate KNXV after learning the evacuation order had been lifted. "I was sitting in my seat squirming. I want to go out there now but I can't do it until tomorrow."

"That feels good," Nutrioso evacuee Dave Derker told the affiliate. "I want to go home."

The blaze has raged throughout the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest since May 29. KNXV reported Tuesday night that fire investigators suspect the blaze was started by a campfire.

"I looks like it was a campfire, and we've got a couple of people of interest that we're talking to right now," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Christopher Knoff told KNXV. The names of those people have not been released.

As crews gained ground on the Wallow Fire, firefighters on Tuesday battled another blaze that has burned 5,200 acres in southwest Arizona.

The so-called Monument Fire, which according to fire officials broke out Sunday afternoon, has threatened the homes of 120 residents and 30 outbuildings. It was 10% contained, Katy Hooper of the National Park Service said Tuesday.

Across Arizona, high temperatures, strong winds and an extended stretch of very low humidity are fueling at least five fires, with a combined burn area that tops 250,000 acres.

Besides Wallow, the largest of the fires is the Horseshoe Two fire in southern Arizona, which started May 8. The blaze, which has so far scorched 171,333 acres, was 53% contained as of late Tuesday. Firefighters have said that blaze has been difficult to get ahead of because of the area's steep terrain and relative isolation.

The Wallow Fire has destroyed 32 homes and 36 outbuildings including sheds and barns. It has drawn 4,734 firefighters from Arizona and around the country. The blaze is the largest fire currently active in the United States, according to Inciweb, an interagency fire information service.

"The great news on this incident is we still have a total of seven injuries and they're all minor," Frenzen said late Tuesday.

Prior to Tuesday, the biggest wildfire on record in Arizona was the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski fire which scorched 722 square miles in Arizona.

Jayson Coil, a manager with the incident response team, said forecast winds from the northwest could fan flames in areas that have been previously sheltered from the fire and push the blaze south.

Fire teams are most closely focusing on the area north of Luna, New Mexico, and west to Alpine, Arizona, communities on the fire's eastern flank, Coil said.

Firefighters were working nine miles of fire line close to population centers in that high-priority section of the fire, he said. They were burning vegetation near the Luna Lake area Tuesday in a bid to strengthen and connect containment lines.

On the west side of the fire, commanders were focusing on shoring up containment lines around Burro Mountain and the Sunrise Ski Resort, Coil said.

"There's a line of mixed conifer where that line was put in, and because of that it's requiring a lot of extra suppression efforts," he said. "That mixed conifer holds (heat) for a long time."

Conditions around Greer, Arizona, also continued to improve, with power restored to the area, Coil said. But it is unclear when residents of that community might be allowed home. The evacuated residents of Alpine are also waiting to hear when they go home.

Regarding when the evacuation orders for Alpine and Greer might be lifted, ""We're talking a three-, four- or five-day time frame," Frenzen said.

Crews continued to patrol areas around Springerville and Eagar, where some burned-out areas began to smoke Monday because of the ultra-low humidity in the area, Coil said.

Residents were allowed to return to those communities, which are about 170 miles east-northeast of Phoenix, on Sunday.

CNN's Samuel Gardner III contributed to this report.

CNN

Arizona wildfire close to historic milestone

(CNN) -- As firefighters continued battling a massive wildfire in eastern Arizona Sunday, authorities said the threat of spreading flames had decreased enough to allow thousands of residents in some of the hardest-hit areas to return home.

"After consulting with fire officials, it has been determined that the fire risk has diminished enough that it will no longer be a threat to the citizens of the towns," said Cmdr. Webb Hogle of the Apache County Sheriff's Office.

But he said smoke from the wildfire "still poses serious health hazards" in Springerville, Eagar and South Fork, where authorities expect thousands to return home after evacuating.

"If they return, they do so at their own risk," he added.

The 15-day-old blaze in eastern Arizona inched closer Sunday to becoming the worst fire in the state's history.

The second-largest blaze had scorched 430,171 acres, firefighters said late Saturday, an area bigger than most of the largest cities in the United States.

The so-called Wallow fire is 38,467 acres shy of matching the Rodeo/Chediski wildfire of 2002, Arizona's biggest.

Firefighters said they are making progress as they dig trenches, set their own fires to take away natural fuels from the advancing blaze and dump retardants from the air on the flames.

It "has been chasing us around, but after today we're feeling very optimistic," Jerome MacDonald told reporters late Saturday.

The fire, which broke out May 29 in the Apache National Forest, is 6% contained, said MacDonald, the operations chief for the Southwest Interagency Incident Management team fighting the fire.

Air quality for much of New Mexico and eastern Arizona was expected to worsen over the weekend because of wildfires, the New Mexico health and environment officials said.

Heavy smoke could affect those in sensitive groups, including children, pregnant woman, asthma sufferers and people with lung and heart diseases, the New Mexico Environment Department said.

The National Weather Service said smoke plumes from Arizona wildfires will continue moving toward Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Heavy smoke has permeated communities around the Arizona blaze.

"We have not seen the sun clearly for several days," said Rita Baysinger, a spokeswoman for the Southwest Interagency Incident Management team.

MacDonald said changing winds are likely to start clearing out the smoke.

"All the smoke from the fire has basically been funneling through Eagar in the valley and it settles there in the morning," MacDonald said. "I don't expect the same kind of smoky conditions over the next couple of days."

At least 9,114 people were evacuated from Springerville, Eagar, Nutrioso, Alpine, Greer and surrounding areas.

The wildfire has consumed 29 homes, 22 of them in the evacuated city of Greer.

CNN's Phil Gast and journalist Craig Johnson contributed to this report.

CNN

Arizona wildfire sparks fresh alerts

NEW: Air quality alerts for eastern Arizona, parts of New MexicoOfficials prepared for winds of up to 30 miles per hour SaturdayContainment of the fire is expected to be more difficultPower companies are seeking contingencies if lines are closed

(CNN) -- Red-flag warnings, indicating critical fire ignition conditions, were in effect Saturday in eastern Arizona, where a massive wildfire grew to 430,000 acres.

Still, crews were making progress in the eastern section of the Wallow fire, said Rita Baysinger, spokeswoman for the Southwest Interagency Incident Management team. Other firefighters were awaiting improved conditions.

Firefighters have created "lines" to contain the fire. To keep the fire from spreading, they burned off areas to destroy ground fuel that feeds the large fire. That work continued Saturday.

"Today is the day that the good work we did over the last two days gets challenged," U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Suzanne Florey told CNN earlier in the day.

As of Saturday afternoon, the fire was 5% contained.

New Mexico health and environment officials said air quality for much of New Mexico and eastern Arizona was expected to worsen over the weekend because of wildfires.

Heavy smoke could affect those in sensitive groups, including children, pregnant woman, asthma sufferers and people with lung and heart disease, the New Mexico Environment Department said.

The National Weather Service said smoke plumes from Arizona wildfires will continue moving toward Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Heavy smoke has permeated communities around the largest Arizona blaze.

"We have not seen the sun clearly for several days," Baysinger said.

The flames have consumed 29 homes, 22 of them in the evacuated city of Greer.

On Friday, air and ground crews concentrated on protecting residences and structures in and near the evacuated cities of Springerville and Eagar.

Power companies said Friday that they are still watching the huge fire and its potential impact on crucial transmission lines that supply power to hundreds of thousands.

The blaze -- about the size of Houston -- has caused authorities to evacuate thousands of people since the wildfire began sweeping through the Apache National Forest on May 29.

CNN's Phil Gast and journalist Craig Johnson contributed to this report.

CNN

The calm before the firestorm in Arizona

NEW: Springerville and Eagar residents may be able to go home this weekendThe fire has destroyed 29 homesThe blaze is now 5% contained, officials say A Friday forecast of calm winds could make it easier to fight the fireAre you there? Share photos, video, but stay safe

(CNN) -- Crews battling one of the worst wildfires in Arizona could get their biggest break yet Friday when the high winds driving the flames are expected to weaken.

The blaze has scorched an area bigger than Los Angeles, sending thousands fleeing.

Firefighters battling the so-called Wallow Fire gained ground Thursday for the first time since the blaze broke out in late May. They also confirmed that 29 houses have been destroyed.

The number includes 22 homes in Greer that were annihilated when the blaze blew through town Wednesday afternoon.

See photos of the raging fire and efforts to fight it

Officials were in the process of telling evacuated residents whether their homes had been spared or destroyed, a spokesman said Thursday night.

"For most of us in the fire world, it's unfortunately become a common occurrence that we experience loss of residences," said Jim Whittington, spokesman with the Southwest Interagency Incident Management team. "It doesn't matter if they're rich or poor, if they live in a mansion or if they live in a very small house, the pain on people's faces is exactly the same."

"Our hearts go out to those folks and we're thinking about you," Whittington said.

Gary Linthicum of Scottdale told CNN affiliate KNXV that his family's summer home in Greer was among houses destroyed.

"My wife's taking it pretty hard," Linthicum said. "It was kind of a special place to her and all the kids so it's going to be something we're going to miss."

The house is valued at $1.2 million and is insured, the affiliate said.

Tracy Marasco told the affiliate that her home had survived the flames that had swept through Greer on Wednesday. Thursday's calmer winds brought additional relief for her.

"The erratic winds weren't there so that's a big ray of hope," Marasco said.

Whittington said firefighters on Thursday appeared to turn a corner on the relentless blaze, holding the line in some areas and preventing the spread of the fire into the towns of Eagar and Springerville.

At a community meeting Thursday, residents of those towns were told they might be able to return to their homes over the weekend.

The fire is 5 % contained, Whittington said.

Among other things, firefighters have been relying on a method called backfiring, in which they light smaller fires ahead of the blaze in hopes that it dies in the crispy timber.

"We've been reacting to this fire since the beginning. This was the first day we've been able to go after it," Whittington said.

Calmer winds buttressed the firefighting effort on Thursday. The National Weather Service forecast that Friday's winds could be lighter than they've been since the Wallow Fire started to sweep through Apache National Forest on May 29.

Whittington said the latest forecast gives firefighters a 36-hour window to gain ground before the winds pick up to 25 mph Saturday afternoon.

"Every minute, every second between now and when those winds hit, we've got to be doing really good work," Whittington said.

On Thursday, fire officials and power companies said they were planning for the possibility that the blaze would reach crucial transmission lines that supply power to thousands.

El Paso Electric said that the fire had crept to within 15 miles of company transmission lines that serve nearly 400,000 people. The utility was preparing for contingency plans, including rolling blackouts in some areas, she said.

"We do have a couple of transmissions lines that the fire is approaching. The fire is currently about eight miles from that line," Joe Salkowski, spokesman for Tucson Electric Power told CNN.

Tucson Electric serves about 400,000 customers, Salkowski said.

Another area power company, Navopache Electric, said on its website that some of its service territory remained without power, including Greer, Sunrise, Big Lake and South Fork.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has declared a state of emergency to mobilize funds for the wildfires in Apache and Greenlee counties.

The blaze, about 525 square miles, has caused authorities to evacuate more than 6,000 people.

Journalist Craig Johnson contributed to this report.

CNN

Blaze second-largest in Arizona history

(CNN) -- A fast-moving wildfire that has sent thousands fleeing in eastern Arizona is the second-largest blaze in the history of the state, records show.

The so-called Wallow Fire sweeping through Apache National Forest has burned approximately 389,000 acres, Incident commander Joe Reinarz told reporters Tuesday.

That surpasses the 2005 Cave Creek wildfire previously ranked the second-largest blaze in Arizona history. It scorched 248,310 acres, according to records published on the Southwest Coordination Center regional interagency website.

The Rodeo/Chediski blaze of 2002, which burned 468,638 acres, was Arizona's largest wildfire, officials said.

Unless the low humidity rises and the high winds die down, the current blaze could continue to spread, fire officials warned. The National Weather Service issued a red flag alert for Wednesday along all but the northernmost tip of Arizona's eastern border. The alert puts the area at extreme risk for fire.

The weather service also issued a red flag alert for southwestern and northeastern New Mexico.

The forecast calls for 20 mph winds with gusts of up to 35 mph in Arizona, which could spark spot fires beyond the current containment zone and force the evacuation of more people.

"Further evacuations will come if this does not hold tonight," Reinarz said.

The fire has put 343 structures at risk, however only 10 have been destroyed so far, officials said.

As many as 3,000 additional people were evacuated Tuesday, a Red Cross official said. They join an estimated 2,700 others who've abandoned their homes in eastern Arizona.

U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl and his wife who were forced to leave their cabin in Greer because of the advancing fire, according to CNN affiliate KNXV.

Residents living south of State Highway 260 and east of Greer, including South Fork and parts of Eagar, were told to leave their homes, fire officials said.

Residents of Springerville, which is just north of the evacuation line, have been told they should be prepared to leave their homes.

"We're going to evacuate if they tell us to go," resident Lee Murdock told CNN affiliate KTVK. "There ain't nothing I own that's worth as much as the family."

Murdock said he's moved livestock to the fairgrounds in nearby St. Johns because of the advancing fire.

Meanwhile, firefighters struggled Tuesday to gain advantages over a blaze that produced dense plumes of smoke that were visible from space and thick enough to reduce visibility to less than a mile in some places, according to the National Weather Service.

Spillover smoke from the Arizona blaze disrupted flights and prompted an air quality alert in neighboring New Mexico on Tuesday. The weather service's air quality alert for Wednesday includes most of northwest New Mexico west of Interstate 25 and north of U.S. Highway 60.

New Mexico officials told residents in the town of Luna to be prepared to leave, according to Terri Wildermuth, a spokeswoman for the Incident Management Team overseeing firefighting efforts.

"I'm starting to feel like I've been chain-smoking and all my clothes smell like I've been camping," said CNN iReporter Eric Place, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"Sometimes, not like huge flakes, but little ash particles, are visible."

In Arizona, the Red Cross has set up an evacuation center at a school in Lakeside.

So far, about 75 evacuees have checked into the shelter, said Weldon, though not everyone was expected to stay.

More than 2,000 firefighters are engaged in the fight against the fire, along with 20 helicopters, 141 fire engines, 46 water tenders and eight bulldozers, according to officials.

The blaze remained at 0% containment Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service warned critical fire weather, with low humidity and high winds, would continue at least through Wednesday in Arizona. The National Interagency Fire Center said similar conditions would heighten the risk of fires across the southwest, including Arizona, New Mexico, southeastern Colorado and west Texas.

Including Wallow, there are currently seven active wildfires burning across Arizona, according to InciWeb, an online state-by-state database of fires and other disasters. The Arizona wildfires also include three separate blazes that have consumed 165,017 acres in the Coronado National Forest. One of them has been burning since May 8, according to InciWeb.

CNN's Phil Gast, Dana Ford and Ben Smith contributed to this report.

CNN

Crews battle Arizona wildfires, high winds

(CNN) -- Crews battling one of the worst wildfires in Arizona history prepared Monday to hold a 30-mile line against the advancing blaze even as accelerating winds threatened to undo their efforts, officials said.

The "Wallow Fire," as the blaze is known, has scorched 192,746 acres and has forced the evacuation of more than 2,200 people since it broke out May 29, officials said Monday morning. It is completely uncontained, officials said.

Officials ordered the immediate evacuation Sunday of residents in several eastern Arizona subdivisions and a ranch, including Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita, Dog Patch and the H-V Ranch.

Residents of the town of Greer, just seven miles from the wildfire's front line, remained under a pre-evacuation order Monday morning. Most chose not to wait and have already left, said Peter Frenzen, a spokesman for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team, which is overseeing firefighting efforts.

Are you there? Share your photos, videos and stories, but please stay safe.

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Forecasters said fire conditions could get much worse Monday as winds are expected to pick up as a low-pressure trough moves out of the state. The National Weather Service has projected winds of up to 30 mph in eastern Arizona. The weather service has also placed the northern half of the state under a red flag warning, which means that weather conditions are ripe for wildfires.

"It's not good," Tom Clemmons, a weather service meteorologist in Flagstaff, said of the forecast.

Officials and area residents complained of heavy smoke that has blanketed the area like fog.

"To me, it feels like I'm suffocating," Deanna Davis told CNN affiliate KTVK. "Smoke just sits in this valley and it sucks the air right out of you."

Davis, who manages Davis True Value Hardware store in Springerville, said the fire and resulting smoke had forced a run on her store from customers looking to buy masks.

Meanwhile Sunday, hundreds of firefighters took up position at the nearby mountain hamlet of Alpine to battle spot fires started by burning embers, said Brad Pitassi of the Southwest Area Incident Management Team.

"The head of the fire is knocking on Alpine's door," Pitassi told CNN. "We have spot fires in Alpine. The crews have been able to stop those fires from growing."

The town of Alpine was evacuated, along with the town of Nutrioso, officials said.

Among the evacuees was Jessie Walker, who along with his wife, Holly, abandoned the house he built in Nutrioso with his own hands to escape the approaching fire, according to Phoenix-based CNN affiliate KNXV.

"What a person don't realize is is how hard it is to face something like that," Walker told KNXV. "You think you're prepared for it, you think you're mentally prepared for it, physically prepared for it. You're not."

"It's hard," Walker said, fighting back tears.

The Walkers took as many of their possessions as they could even though there wasn't enough time to pack. Those belongings are now stored in a trailer out of harm's way. Walker said he has a brother who stayed behind.

"He wants to fight for what's his and I don't blame him," Walker said.

Frenzen on Monday said the fire had destroyed two buildings in Nutrioso. Leighayn Green told KNXV she hoped her family's home wasn't one of them.

"We're thinking positive it's not ours," Green said.

Wayne Whitby, another Nutrioso resident, sounded more fatalistic.

"Whatever is going to be is going to be," Whitby told KNXV. "We hope for the best."

The fire has bedeviled fire crews with its unpredictable path, thanks to wind gusts that have carried burning embers up to three miles.

"It's a very significant fire," Pitassi said, with "a lot of growth potential."

The U.S. Forest Service said the fire is the fourth largest in Arizona's history, but Pitassi said it is the third largest.

Many evacuees were waiting out the fire in Springerville, about 20 miles from the fire's frontline, where daily meetings are held at a local high school to update residents.

Bob and Jan Bullard said they had five minutes to evacuate their home in Nutrioso when the fire made a run at the small resort town near Greer.

"I'd like to hear that we can go home," Bob Bullard told KNXV.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who was briefed Saturday by fire officials, said she would consider seeking state or federal help for the county, if the situation grew worse.

Heavy smoke generated by the fire could be seen as far away as Albuquerque, New Mexico, where city officials warned residents to avoid outdoor activities and close windows and doors.

Light ash has been reported coating the ground in several areas of the city, according to Albuquerque-based CNN affiliate KOAT.

Various fires burning in Arizona in recent days, including the Wallow Fire, have destroyed more than 270,000 acres.

Among those fires was a wildfire in southeast Arizona that had burned more than 100,000 acres, fire officials said Sunday. That fire was about 55% contained, officials said.

CNN's Chelsea J. Carter, Phil Gast and Dana Ford contributed to this report.

CNN

Large wildfires rage in Arizona

(CNN) -- One of the largest wildfires in Arizona history threatened mountain retreats and spread ash and smoke as far away as Albuquerque, New Mexico, more than 200 miles away, officials said Saturday.

Across the state, blazes have burned more than 250,000 acres.

More than 1,000 personnel were battling a large wildfire near Alpine in the east-central part of the state. The fire, of undetermined origin, had burned 140,000 acres by Saturday and prompted the evacuation of nearly 2,500 people.

It was completely uncontained Saturday afternoon.

"The fire is burning pretty fast and it's pretty large," said Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who visited the area Saturday. "It's a big fire and we hope that we get more encouraging news in the morning."

She said officials have so far spent some $3 million on efforts to put out the blaze and that she would consider asking the state or federal governments for help if the situation gets worse.

The fire, which began last weekend, has destroyed several log outbuildings and remained a large threat to vacation homes and other properties in Alpine and Nutrioso, said Sgt. Richard Guinn of the Apache County Sheriff's Office. Residents in those communities and a subdivision were evacuated.

"It looks like fog in St. John's right now," Guinn said.

Apache National Forest in Arizona was closed to all public entry.

The area is popular for outdoor activities, which include elk hunting, fly fishing and skiing in the winter.

"With school out we have a lot of campers," but campgrounds in the national forest were closed, Guinn said.

Eric Neitzel with the Show Low Fire Department told CNN Phoenix affiliate KNXV that the fire is "stubborn."

The town of Greer was given a pre-evacuation notice Friday night, Guinn said.

As a precaution, because of the smoke and ash, a local hospital moved its patients, although the emergency room remained open, Guinn said.

Winds were expected to subside somewhat Saturday, but firefighting conditions could be tougher Sunday, said Guinn.

Crews were throwing an arsenal of equipment against the wildfire, including nine helicopters, four air attack planes and nearly 80 ground vehicles.

Joyce Benjamin said the smoky skies caused her daughter River's asthma to flare up.

"She's having trouble breathing," Benjamin said.

Albuquerque city officials, northeast of the blaze, advised residents to avoid outdoor activity and close windows and doors when heavy smoke is visible or can be smelled. The smoke alert was issued through Monday morning. Light ash has been reported in several areas of the city, according to CNN affiliate KOAT.

A second fire in southeast Arizona had burned more than 90,000 acres but was 50% contained, fire officials reported Saturday. The cause was under investigation.

A mandatory evacuation order continued for the communities of Paradise, East Whitetail Canyon and the surrounding communities, according to KNXV.

Chiricahua National Monument is temporarily closed.

CNN's Phil Gast contributed to this report.

CNN

Police: 5 dead in series of shootings in Arizona

Yuma law enforcement officials say the shooter seriously injured a sixth person.4 killed in Yuma County and 1 in the city of Yuma, a police officer saysAnother person was injured as a result of shootings in Yuma CountyOne of those killed was a Yuma attorney, the police chief saysThe suspect, a 73-year-old man, apparently killed himself, police say

(CNN) -- A 73-year-old man shot dead five people around Yuma, Arizona, before turning a gun on himself, police said.

Another victim was flown about 180 miles northeast to a Phoenix-area hospital after being seriously injured, Yuma Police Sgt. Clint Norred said in a joint press release with the Yuma County Sheriff's Office.

According to Yuma police, an "elderly male" went into a business in the city limits and shot an adult male. Police Chief Jerry Geier later identified this victim as Jerrold Shelley, a local attorney.

The four others were killed in greater Yuma County, where the other person was injured, according to Yuma Police Officer Cruz Vidal.

Police determined that these shootings were linked and identified the suspect as Carey Hal Dyess, a 73-year-old Yuma man.

Around 11:30 a.m., Yuma County sheriff's deputies found Dyess dead off U.S. Highway 95 in Blaisdell, a community east of Yuma. He died from "what appears to be ... a self-inflicted gunshot wound," police said.

Yuma is a city of more than 87,000 people, according to a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, out of nearly 200,000 people in the county. It is near the intersection of Arizona, California and Mexico, about 170 miles east of San Diego.

CNN's Justin Lear contributed to this report.

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Arizona Becomes Latest Battleground for Same-Sex Adoptions

AP2011

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, R, speaks Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at the Governor's Volunteer Awards luncheon in Phoenix. (AP)

Arizona joined another skirmish in the nation's culture wars this week when Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill into law that gives married couples a tie-breaker preference over singles for state-arranged adoptions.

Under the new law, the state is to consider such factors as possible placements with the child's relatives, the prospective family's ability to meet the child's needs, and wishes of children 12 or older. But if all relevant factors are equal, the preference for married couples kicks in.

Gay-rights advocates oppose the law because they say it is based on discrimination against gays, who can't marry in Arizona.

"This is a law based on stereotypes and cultural assumptions about gay people being bad for kids," said James Essex, an attorney with the ACLU who specializes in LGBT issues. "The reality is the social scientists and the psychologists who study this say there is no basis for those stereotypes at all. That kids raised by gay couples do just as well on every measure of child adjustment that there is."

But social conservatives say the law is based on social science that shows children thrive in families led by traditional married couples.

"One thing that is quite clear from human experience and scientific studies -- children need a mom and a dad," said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America. "The claim that not allowing homosexuals to adopt would be damaging is without foundation. And the framework behind the idea that homosexuals should have the right to adopt is based on the desire of those who want to adopt rather than the interest of the children."

Arizona isn't the only state that imposes restrictions on adoptions.

Mississippi and Utah -- which also gives preference to married couples -- prohibit unmarried couples from adopting. North Dakota allows adoption agencies to deny prospective parents based on religious or moral objection. 

Florida explicitly banned gays from adopting until a court overturned the law last year. And Arkansas banned unmarried couples from adopting until the state's high court struck it down this month.

Last week, a Senate committee in Illinois voted down a bill that would have allowed religious organizations to deny gay couples adoption and foster care services. In recent years, bills banning gay couples from adopting have failed in Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio. 

Essex says those efforts have failed because child welfare officials have testified to these lawmakers about the potential harm of those bills to children.

"So with the help of people who know what's going on, many of these proposals have not succeeded," he said, adding that it's unlikely that they ever will. "We're not seeing a wave of this."

Despite those victories for supporters of gay rights, they suffered another setback on Wednesday when Virginia's social services board voted down proposed regulations that would have allowed gay couples to adopt children in the state for the first time. 

The state's Board of Social Services voted 7-2 to strip part of the proposed regulation that would ban private adoption services from discriminating based on sexual orientation. Virginia prohibits unmarried couples to adopt. Only married couples and singles, regardless of sexual orientation can adopt.

"For us, specifically, it feels like our community is under attack," said Robin McGhee, executive director of GetEQUAL, a gay rights group. She said the laws are part of a "proactive approach to keep us from adopting children who need homes."

There are 1.5 million children in the U.S. with adoptive parents. In 2009, there were about 55,000 state-arranged adoptions, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.

About 250,000 children are being raised by gay parents, according to Lamda Legal, a gay-rights organization. But it's not clear how many of them are adopted since some of the parents are divorced.

Of the 424,000 children in foster care, about 130,000 are legally available for adoption, according to the Child Welfare League of America.

Jenny Tyree, a marriage analyst with the conservative group Focus on the Family, told FoxNews.com that she attributed the number of children waiting for adoption to red tape rather than a shortage of willing or able married couples. Tyree said the group's partnership with Colorado last year helped to reduce the number of children waiting for adoption by more than half, from nearly 800 to 365.

"Focus on the Family for more than 30 years has been helping more children grow up with a mother and a father," she said, adding that laws restricting adoptions to married couples "are in the best interest of children."

But McGhee said if that is the primary criterion for adopting children, then there should be laws requiring children to be taken from parents who get divorced. Instead, she said, the most important criterion should be ensuring the child is supported and loved.

"The people that are harmed by this (debate) are the children in our system," she said, adding that those who discriminate against prospective parents should be "focusing on their own family."

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Arizona governor vetoes 'birther bill'

Arizona governor vetoes 'birther' billSTORY HIGHLIGHTSGov. Jan Brewer says the bill is "a bridge too far"It would have required presidential hopefuls to prove they were born in the U.S.President Barack Obama has fought allegations that he wasn't born in America (CNN) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill late Monday that would have required President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove they were American citizens, born in the United States, before their names could have been placed on the state ballot.

The so-called "birther bill" got final approval in the state House last week. Now that Brewer, a Republican, has vetoed it, the bill will not become law unless legislators vote to override her veto.

"As a former Secretary of State, I do not support designating one person as a gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically-motivated decisions," the governor wrote in a letter addressed to the Arizona House speaker.

Under the measure, if there were any dispute about whether a candidate had proved he or she had been born in the United States, Arizona's secretary of state would have the final say.

"This measure creates significant new problems while failing to do anything constructive for Arizona," she added.

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Arizona Gov. Brewer Vetoes Bill to Allow Guns on Public College Campuses

AP

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, seen in this 2010 file photo, has vetoed a bill that would have allowed guns on public college campuses.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill Monday that would have allowed guns on parts of public college campuses, a bill that she said was "poorly written" and likely faced a legal challenge.

Gun laws must be "crystal clear so that gun owners don't become lawbreakers by accident," Brewer said, referring to what she said was the bill's inadequate definition of the "public right of way" where guns could be carried on public university and community college campuses.

She also warned that the bill could have mistakenly included K-12 schools, "where federal and state laws generally prohibit weapons."

"While I support thoughtful expansion of where firearms should be allowed, the actual legislation that does so must be unambiguous and clear to protect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. Senate Bill 1467 is neither," she said.

Gun-rights advocates had backed the bill, saying it would help people defend themselves and prevent them from getting in trouble for merely driving through a campus with a gun in a vehicle.

University presidents opposed the bill. They said allowing guns on campuses would endanger employees, students and visitors, and it would be difficult for officers responding to a shooting to quickly identify a wrongdoer.

The bill originally would have applied to campus buildings, including classrooms, by allowing people with concealed weapons permits to carry guns into the facilities.

But it was scaled back during Senate consideration to apply only to rights of way, such as sidewalks. References to concealed weapons also were removed.

Supporters said they needed to change the bill to only apply to rights of way because the original, broader measure lacked enough support in the House.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence opposed the latest version and sought a veto, even though it said the bill was gutted by the Senate.

Texas legislation similar to the original Arizona bill is stalled in that state, with opposition preventing it from coming to a Senate vote.

Brewer must act by midnight Thursday on another Arizona guns-rights measure that would allow weapons in some government buildings that don't have airport-style security with armed guards and metal detectors.

That bill would not override a separate state law that bars guns in K-12 schools, and it would not disturb a law that gives higher education officials the authority to ban guns.

Also, the legislation would not clear the way for guns to be carried in public-owned convention centers, sports arenas, courthouses, prosecutors' offices and police facilities.

Since becoming governor in January 2009, Brewer has signed several major guns-rights bills. Those included one to allow carrying a concealed weapon without having a state-issued permit, and another to allow carrying a concealed weapon into a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Arizona lawmakers OK 'birther' bill

measures.

The bill would require presidential and vice presidential candidates to provide the Arizona secretary of state with documents proving they are natural-born citizens.

Those documents can be either a long-form birth certificate or two or more other permitted documents, including an early baptismal certificate, circumcision certificate, hospital birth record, postpartum medical record signed by the person who delivered the child or an early census record.

If a candidate failed to submit required documents or the secretary of state deemed them insufficient, the candidate would not be listed on Arizona

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Arizona State University Has Changed The Look Of Sun Devils

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You will wonder on knowing the events of today at Arizona State. Public had come to Memorial Union around 1320hrs. They had picked up their seats for the unveiling ceremony of Sun Devils. Administration of ASU brought media inside the ballroom. After this, remaining seats of ball room were occupied by the fans of ASU. Dark was dominating the lights of room. Smoke was covering the areas around the stage. The platform where unveiling of Sun Devils happened later, this platform was in centre of big-screen televisions. All this was done because Arizona State University knew it had gotten your attention. They had built up the event for unveiling of the new look of Sun Devils; they were not going to do it without attention of media. I am sure they were very smart for it.

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Arizona Legislature OKs Presidential 'Birther' Bill

A woman walks past a sign directing voters to a polling place in the Phoenix, Arizona November 2, 2010. (AP)

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Legislature gave final approval late Thursday night to a proposal that would require President Obama and other presidential candidates to prove they are U.S. citizens before their names can appear on the state's ballot.

Arizona would become the first state to require such proof if Gov. Jan Brewer signs the measure into law.

Republican Rep. Carl Seel of Phoenix, the author of the bill, said the bill wasn't about opposition to Obama. "This bill is about the integrity of our elections," Seel said.

Thirteen other states have considered similar proposals this year. The proposals were defeated in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maine and Montana.

The bill won final approval from the state House in a 40-16 vote.

So-called "birthers" contend since the last presidential election that Obama is ineligible to hold the nation's highest elected office because, they argue, he was actually born in Kenya, his father's homeland. The Constitution said a person must be a "natural-born citizen" to be eligible for the presidency.

Hawaii officials have repeatedly confirmed Obama's citizenship, and his Hawaiian birth certificates have been made public. Even though the courts have rebuffed lawsuits challenging Obama's eligibility, the issue hasn't gone away.

"It's a fringe issue in my view, and it's going to cause people to look again at Arizona and say what's all this craziness going on there," said Democratic Rep. Daniel Patterson of Tucson, an opponent of the bill.

The Arizona proposal would require political parties and presidential candidates to hand in affidavits stating a candidate's citizenship and age and to provide the candidate's birth certificate and a sworn statement saying where the candidate has lived for 14 years.

If candidates don't have a copy of their birth certificates, they could meet the requirement by providing baptismal or circumcision certificates, hospital birth records and other documents.

If it can't be determined whether candidates who provided documents in place of their birth certificates are eligible to appear on the ballot, the secretary of state would be able to set up a committee to help determine whether the requirements have been met.

The names of candidates can be kept off the ballot if the secretary of state doesn't believe the candidates met the citizenship requirement.

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U.S. appeals court OKs decision blocking Arizona immigration law

Undocumented immigrants walk in Arizona's Sonoran Desert after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on January 19. STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: An immigrant activist says, "This decisions says ... Gov. Brewer is wrong"Brewer says the ruling harms "the safety and well-being of Arizonans"U.S. appeals court judges on Monday affirm an earlier ruling on Arizona's SB 1070That ruling had blocked key provisions of the law, just before they became lawRELATED TOPICSImmigrationArizonaU.S. Court of AppealsU.S. Department of Justice (CNN) -- A federal appeals court on Monday affirmed a previous injunction of Arizona's controversial immigration law, another setback for legislation that has drawn sharp opposition from President Barack Obama's administration.

In its ruling, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit sided with the U.S. Justice Department and against Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed the measure known as SB 1070 into law last year.

Among other things, this legislation would have required local law enforcement in Arizona to apprehend and help deport illegal immigrants. The Obama administration sued, arguing that only the federal government has that authority.

That lawsuit led to U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's decision last July, which temporarily blocked the law's most contested parts just a day before they were scheduled to go into effect. That included the requirement that local police officers should check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.

Monday's decision came more than five months after both sides presented their cases in San Francisco to the federal appeals court judges. The ruling was written by federal Judge Richard Anthony Paez and supported in full by Judge John Noonan. Judge Carlos Bea partially concurred and partially dissented from the ruling opinion.

"We hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion," the ruling states. "Therefore, we affirm the district court's preliminary injunction order enjoining these certain provisions of SB 1070."

Arizona's governor and attorney general will now consider "their legal options," according to a statement, including possibly an immediate petition to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Brewer claimed Monday in this statement that the latest decision "does harm to the safety and well-being of Arizonans who suffer the negative effects of illegal immigration."

"For decades, the federal government has neglected its constitutional duty to American citizens by failing to secure the border," she said. "States like Arizona have borne the brunt of that failure."

Those on the other side of the issue, including key figures in Arizona's immigrant community, applauded the ruling.

'What this decision says is that Governor Brewer is wrong," Lydia Guzman of Somos America, an activist group focused on promoting social justice and equal rights for immigrant communities in Arizona, told reporters Monday. "This decision shows a victory on the side of justice and it shows that civil rights prevails."

The ruling is the biproduct of a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department that challenged six of the Arizona law's provisions, meaning other parts of the law went into effect in July. That includes a ban on "sanctuary cities": municipalities with laws or policies that render them relatively safe for undocumented immigrants. Bolton's ruling also allowed a provision making it illegal to hire day laborers if doing so impedes traffic. In addition, the ruling allowed parts of the law dealing with sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Republican lawmakers, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and other state governments were among those filing briefs with the appeals court supporting Arizona's argument. The Mexican government, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the city of Tucson, Arizona, were among those filing briefs supporting the Justice Department's side.

In its lawsuit, the Justice Department challenged only six of the Arizona law's provisions, meaning others went into effect in July. That includes a ban on "sanctuary cities": municipalities with laws or policies that render them relatively safe for undocumented immigrants. Bolton's ruling also allowed a provision making it illegal to hire day laborers if doing so impedes traffic. In addition, the ruling allowed parts of the law dealing with sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants.

The decision Monday sides with the U.S. Justice Department, largely on the argument that federal immigration policy would be greatly undermined -- as might America's standing in the world -- if individual states adopted their own separate immigration laws. Doing so, the ruling contends, equates to a given state adopting its own foreign policy, one that may be in opposition to national policy.

"That 50 individual states or one individual state should have a foreign policy is absurdity too gross to be entertained. In matters affecting the intercourse of the federal nation with other nations, the federal nation must speak with one voice," the ruling says.

Brewer, along with Attorney General Tom Horne, on Monday said the appeals court relied too much on testimony from "foreign governments," calling it wrong to give such nations "the de facto right to veto the duly-enacted laws of a sovereign state of the United States."

In his partial dissent -- which represents his opinion, but does not equate to law -- Bea contended that local and state officers do have a role in addressing federal immigration laws.

"Congress intended that state officers be free to inquire of the federal officers into the immigration status of any person, without any direction or supervision of such federal officers -- and the federal officers 'shall respond' to any such inquiry," he writes.

In February, Brewer announced that Arizona had filed a countersuit against the federal government, seeking the authority to implement its own border security efforts.

At that time, Homeland Security Department spokesman Matt Chandler called Arizona's court claim a "meritless" one that "does nothing to secure the border."

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