SB 1070 protesters (Flickr/Creative Commons)

The Supreme Court's 5-3 vote on Monday, ruling against Arizona's SB 1070 Immigration Law, is being seen as a victory for the Obama administration. In particular, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.— who is often seen as "one of Obama's chief antagonists at the court"— was among the majority who agreed that immigration reform is a federal matter and not one determined by state law.

The L.A. Times reported:

• Some will take the immigration ruling as a sign that the moderation that Roberts showed at the beginning of his stewardship of the court will prevail in the healthcare case, leading to an Obama victory or a limited defeat.
• No less unreasonable would be a theory that Roberts, knowing the court would stir controversy by striking down the healthcare law, wanted the court to appear moderate by giving Obama at least a partial win on immigration.

However, despite his "victory" with the ruling, President Obama voiced his concern over the immigration status checks that Arizona would still be permitted to conduct, arguing that the checks could lead to racial profiling, said CNN.

"No American should ever live under a cloud of suspicion just because of what they look like," Obama said. "Going forward, we must ensure that Arizona law enforcement officials do not enforce this law in a manner that undermines the civil rights of Americans, as the court's decision recognizes."

Republican Arizona Governor Jan Brewer stated that though the Supreme Court rejected the bill, the "heart" of the law would remain. She also assured that law enforcement "will be held accountable should this statute be misused in a fashion that violates an individual's civil rights," CNN reported.

Talking Points Memo noted that Mitt Romney gave little commentary about his own personal position regarding the ruling. However, he did use it as an opportunity to point out President Obama's lack of leadership on immigration and noted that states should be allowed to protect their own borders.

“Today’s decision underscores the need for a President who will lead on this critical issue and work in a bipartisan fashion to pursue a national immigration strategy,” Romney said in a statement. “President Obama has failed to provide any leadership on immigration. This represents yet another broken promise by this President. I believe that each state has the duty–and the right–to secure our borders and preserve the rule of law, particularly when the federal government has failed to meet its responsibilities. As Candidate Obama, he promised to present an immigration plan during his first year in office. But 4 years later, we are still waiting.”

Read more Neon Tommy coverage of illegal immigration and the SB 1070 Arizona bill here.

Reach Executive Producer Paige Brettingen here.