A federal judge has upheld a South Carolina law allowing police to check people's immigration status.

But U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel said in a ruling Thursday that he would continue keeping other parts of the state's tough immigration law from taking effect.

Gergel ruled in December that South Carolina's law must be put on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court considered a challenge to similar legislation in Arizona.

But after the court said Arizona could allow officers to check the immigration status of those they pull over for another violation, Gergel said he would reconsider his ruling.

The justices tossed out many other portions of the Arizona law.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP