In brief: Stop sought on immigration law

Atlanta – The federal government asked an appeals court Friday to stop Alabama officials from enforcing a strict immigration law that has already driven Hispanic students from public schools and migrant workers from towns, warning that it opens the door to discrimination against even legal residents.

The Department of Justice’s filing to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also said the law, considered by many to be the most stringent immigration measure in the country, could cause considerable fallout as immigrants flee to other states or their native countries.

A coalition of advocacy groups also filed a separate appeal Friday that claims the law has thrown Alabama into “chaos” and left some Hispanics too afraid to go to their jobs and reluctant to send their kids to school.

The court signaled in an order Friday that it wouldn’t decide whether to halt the law until it reviews more arguments from both sides next week.

Loughner may go to Missouri prison

Phoenix – A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the suspect in the Tucson shooting rampage can be returned to a Missouri prison facility where he will undergo more treatment to try to make him mentally fit to stand trial.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request by Jared Lee Loughner’s attorneys to keep him in Tucson.

Loughner’s lawyers want him to stay in Arizona while they appeal a lower court’s ruling that extends their mentally ill client’s stay at a Springfield, Mo., prison by another four months.

On Friday evening, the 9th Circuit issued an expedited briefing order for the appeal and scheduled oral arguments for Nov. 1 in San Francisco.