Brewer takes victory lap: Arizona 'vindicated' by court gutting immigration law

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer appeared to be in near denial on Monday when she claimed her state had been "vindicated" after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a majority of the SB 1070 anti-immigration law.

In a 5-4 ruling, the high court found that three out of four provisions of the Arizona law were unconstitutional because they were preempted federal laws. The court upheld that police could be required to inquire about immigration status when they stop suspects, but it left open the possibility of future challenges once that portion of the law was finally implemented.

"Today is a day when the key components of our efforts to protect the citizens of Arizona, to take up the fight against illegal immigration in a balanced and constitutional way has unanimously been vindicated by the highest court in the land," Brewer told reporters at a press conference after the ruling.

"The heart of Senate Bill 1070 has been proven to be constitutional. Arizona's inherent authority to protect and defend its people has been upheld."

A reporter asked the governor how she could defend declaring that the anti-immigration law was constitutional two years ago when the Supreme Court clearly said on Monday that the majority of it was not.

"Today the state of Arizona and Senate Bill 1070 was vindicated," Brewer repeated. "And the heart of the bill was upheld."

Former Arizona state Senate president Russell Pearce (R), who helped craft the legislation, also called the Supreme Court's decision a "huge win" on Monday.

Watch this video from CNN's Newsroom, broadcast June 25, 2012.

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