The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to rule on a controversial law targeting illegal immigrants in the southwestern state of Arizona.

The high court agreed Monday to review a federal appeals court decision blocking key parts of the law from being implemented.

The Arizona law requires police to check immigration status during routine traffic stops, arrests and other investigations if they suspect a person is in the country illegally. It also requires registered immigrants to carry documentation with them at all times, or be subject to 30 days imprisonment.

Arizona Governor Janice Brewer applauded the U.S. Supreme Court decision to hear the case saying illegal immigration is a strain on the state.

Arizona passed the law in 2010 after years of frustration in dealing with thousands of illegal immigrants, and amid complaints that the federal government was not doing enough to protect the border with Mexico.

The Obama administration says the law interferes with the federal government's authority over immigration policy. Civil rights groups have also criticized it, saying the law could lead to racial profiling by police on the lookout for suspected illegal immigrants.