Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) says the state will appeal a July 28 preliminary injunction by a U.S. district judge that prevents portions of the state�s controversial immigration law from going into effect.

�I will battle all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary, for the right to protect the citizens of Arizona,� Brewer said. Brewer said the state would file an expedited appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The law, which allows police to detain individuals under �reasonable suspicion� of being an illegal alien, was signed April 23 was supposed to have gone into effect on July 29. The temporary injunction by Judge Susan Bolton hands the federal government a victory in its bid to overturn the law, which it says is unconstitutional.

The Dept. of Justice�s principal argument is that the power to regulate immigration is the responsibility of the federal government, and that Arizona�s law is therefore preempted by federal law.

The temporary injunction delays several controversial provisions of the law, including a measure banning illegal immigrants from seeking employment in public places and a provision permitting warrantless arrests of suspected illegal aliens.

Construction groups such as the American Subcontractors Association of Arizona say they prefer a comprehensive approach to immigration reform, rather than a patchwork of state laws.

Efforts to pass a comprehensive immigration law failed in the U.S. Congress in 2007. President Obama this summer called on Congress to revisit the issue.