Atlanta ( CNN ) -- A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Monday temporarily blocking key provisions of a new Georgia law that aims to crack down on illegal immigration , while allowing other parts of the law to move forward . Most of the law , known as HB 87 , was scheduled to go into effect Friday . U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. 's ruling blocks enforcement of two of the most controversial sections of the law . `` State and local law enforcement officers and officials have no authorization to arrest , detain or prosecute anyone based upon sections 7 and 8 of HB 87 while this injunction remains in effect , '' Thrash ruled . Those sections would allow police to inquire about immigration status when questioning suspects in certain criminal investigations . They also would punish people who , during the commission of a crime , knowingly transport or harbor illegal immigrants . Something like speeding or driving without proper equipment could constitute a crime . `` The apparent legislative intent is to create such a climate of hostility , fear , mistrust and insecurity that all illegal aliens will leave Georgia , '' Thrash wrote . In his 45-page ruling , the judge cited a previous court decision that said preliminary injunctions were in the public interest `` when civil rights are at stake . '' He also wrote that state officials were attempting to overstep federal authority on immigration enforcement . `` I 'm very happy , as are all those who believe the Constitution is important , '' said Charles Kuck , an Atlanta attorney whose firm represented some of the plaintiffs . He said the stayed provisions were poorly written and that it was unclear how they would have been enforced , if allowed to move forward . Although the ruling was hailed as a victory by the plaintiffs , Thrash also tossed out a number of their arguments at the state 's request , a point stressed by Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens soon after the decision . `` I appreciate the speed with which Judge Thrash ruled , given the complexity of the issues . I am pleased with the dismissal of the 4th Amendment , 14th Amendment , 'Right to Travel , ' and Georgia constitutional claims by the plaintiffs -- even after this ruling , 21 of the 23 sections of HB 87 will go into effect as planned , '' Olens wrote in a statement . A part of the law that will still go into effect is a provision that workers convicted of using fake identification to get jobs could be sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $ 250,000 . The law will also require people applying for public benefits to provide certain types of identification . Olens said his office will appeal the judge 's ruling regarding sections 7 and 8 . The office of Georgia Gov . Nathan Deal , which supports the law , also weighed in on the judge 's ruling . `` Beyond refusing to help with our state 's illegal immigration problem , the federal government is determined to be an obstacle . The state of Georgia narrowly tailored its immigration law to conform with existing federal law and court rulings , '' said Brian Robinson , the governor 's deputy chief of staff for communications . `` Georgians can rest assured that this battle does n't end here . '' The Georgia lawsuit is the latest battle in a nationwide skirmish between state and federal officials over who controls immigration enforcement . Arizona 's controversial law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration catapulted the issue onto the national stage last year , drawing a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice , which argues the law is unconstitutional . In April , a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S . Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Justice Department and against Arizona Gov . Jan Brewer , who signed Arizona 's law last year . Brewer announced last month that the state would appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court . CNN 's Gustavo Valdes and Dana Ford contributed to this report .
The state law is part of the broader nationwide immigration debate . Georgia officials say they will appeal the ruling . The judge says law enforcement officers can not enforce two sections of the law . TL;DR A federal appeals court in Atlanta has ruled that a new law requiring police to check people's legal status before questioning them violates their Fourth Amendment rights.