On June 15,1977, I was one of 900 high schoolers greeted by the new president, President Jimmy Carter, on the south lawn of the White House, right there on the other side of the ellipse.
The White House argued that Arizona's laws conflicted with its enforcement priorities, even if state laws complied with federal statutes to the letter.
Pillars of the state, such as the Office of Government Ethics, were accustomed to compliance from the White House and ill-equipped to counter open defiance.