More groups join immigration challenge

ATLANTA - More civil rights groups are joining the challenge against Georgia's new immigration law.

The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials and the Southern Center for Human Rights have both filed amicus briefs this week urging a judge to declare the law unconstitutional and block it from being enforced.

Mexico and 10 other countries have also filed briefs joining the challenge brought two weeks ago by civil liberties groups.

Attorney General Sam Olens' office has called the lawsuit meritless and said he's confident the new crackdown will be upheld.

The law authorizes law enforcement to check the immigration status of a suspect who cannot provide accepted identification and to detain and hand over to federal authorities anyone found to be in the U.S. illegally.