The Arizona immigration law is effectively dead, but the controversy over it, is very much alive.

There is renewed anger with the Obama Administration for bringing the suit, and criticism of Federal Judge Susan Bolton for gutting the law. But there is also relief from an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants in Arizona who no longer live in fear of being deported.

Thursday morning a hundred people showed up for a prayer vigil. They were grateful for the ruling and hope that it sends a message to other states NOT to consider similar legislation.

The planned demonstrations turned into celebrations and most of the Latino and civil rights activists here hope the ruling jump starts talks in Congress and ends the political gridlock that surround immigration reform.

The Arizona law did go into effect at midnight Thursday, however, Judge Bolton gutted the bill, stripping of key provisions, including:

- Police cannot verify immigration status of those they stop and believe are in the U.S. illegally.

-  The state cannot make it a crime to be in Arizona without immigration papers.

- The state cannot make it illegal for illegal immigrants to seek work in a public place.

- Police cannot arrest those they believe committed deportable crimes.

Arizona is expected to file an expedited appeal Thursday with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. There is no certainty that the three judge panel will take the case or overturn Bolton’s ruling.