Despite widespread criticism of Arizona’s tough new immigration laws, Republican Gov. Jan Brewer remains firmly behind efforts to allow police to check the immigration status of detainees. Brewer signed the bill into law in part as a response to drug violence spilling over the Mexican border into her state. The federal government and several advocacy groups have filed lawsuits to strike down the law, and 10 foreign governments have filed amicus briefs against the law. Brewer, a career politician who was re-elected in November, also is fighting foreign participation in the legal battle.