Down to the details.

• Author: Morse, Ann
• Position: A SPECIAL REPORT: IMMIGRATION AND THE STATES

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States always have been partners in refugee and immigrant policy. Nearly 100 years ago, New Jersey lawmakers enacted legislation supporting evening classes in English and civics for foreign born residents.

As recently as the 1990s, state legislatures responded to new federal mandates and cost-shifts in welfare reform by creating state-funded programs for legal immigrants and refugees.

Today, state lawmakers continue to pass immigration legislation ranging from education and employment to law enforcement and human trafficking. Fourteen states now require state agencies and contractors to use E-Verify to determine whether an employee is legally able to work in the country. In a few states, private employers are required to use the system as well. And new agreements between state law enforcement and federal immigration agencies address specific criminal activities, such as human trafficking.

State legislatures also are passing a record number of resolutions that acknowledge the contributions of immigrants and immigrant-serving organizations, as well as asking Congress and the president to secure the borders and to enact immigration reforms.

Here's what happened in 2010.

Every state in regular session considered laws related to immigrants or immigration, with 46 states and the District of Columbia enacting a total of 346 laws and resolutions. Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas were not in regular session in 2010.

Arizona's immigration enforcement laws--Senate Bill 1070 and House Bill 2162--received considerable national attention in 2010. These laws added new state requirements, crimes and penalties related to enforcement of immigration laws.

Before the laws went into effect, the U.S. Department of Justice sought an injunction, arguing the laws were unconstitutional. A federal district court judge granted the injunction in part and suspended enforcement of some provisions, including ones that would allow Arizona police officers to determine the immigration status of anyone during a lawful stop and require people to carry their alien registration documents.

Provisions of the law left intact include prohibiting state agencies from limiting enforcement of immigration laws; allowing residents to sue state agencies that enact such policies; and creating a crime for stopping a motor vehicle to pick up day laborers. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer appealed the injunction and the case was argued before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court...