On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups announced that he will keep an injunction in place keeping Utah’s 2011 immigration law from taking effect. Judge Waddoups heard oral arguments on Friday, February 17, but he declined to make a ruling until he receives “additional guidance” from the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Arizona’s similar immigration law sometime in April and should issue its opinion in June.

For undocumented aliens, this means that Utah’s law may never take effect. As I mentioned last month, immigrants living in Utah are unlikely to notice any changes to their daily lives. Among the people I have interacted with, however, it does appear to have increased the urgency for permanent resident status.

If the Supreme Court rules against Arizona, it should dampen the enthusiasm of other states in passing immigration laws. If, however, the Supreme Court upholds Arizona’s law, we’re likely to see many more states pass some sort of immigration law.