U.S. Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, issued the following statement with respect to today's U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a Circuit Court ruling on a State of Arizona immigration law:

"Today's decision by the Supreme Court upholding Arizona law punishing employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants is, in my opinion a landmark ruling. In upholding the Circuit Court's decision, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the ability of States to enact immigration policies, especially when the federal government ignores or abdicates its responsibility. Individual states such as Arizona would not have to enact such laws if the federal government took responsibility for enforcing existing law and proactively solving our illegal immigration crisis.

"President Obama's recent speech on immigration offered no solutions, which both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been guilty of for too long. This Supreme Court ruling demonstrates that Congress must act on the problem of illegal immigration. President Obama and Congress cannot pretend the border problem is solved.

"Until we stop the rhetoric and address the problem of illegal immigration and create an efficient guest worker program, Americans will not feel safe from the threat of drug fueled gang violence, they will not have faith in Congress in performing what is an essential role of government and we will not have a thriving economy - part of which relies on foreign labor in fields from high-tech to agriculture.

"This decision today shows us what will happen if Congress continues to do nothing: the states will have to take matters into their own hands."