Arizona passes legislation on illegal immigrants.

Guest

Story

If you haven't heard it on the news already...

PHOENIX - Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law the nation's toughest legislation against illegal immigration Friday, a sweeping measure which President Barack Obama said could violate people's civil rights.

With hundreds of protesters outside the state Capitol shouting that the bill would lead to civil rights abuses, Brewer said critics were "overreacting" and that she wouldn't tolerate racial profiling.

"We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act," Brewer said after signing the law. "But decades of inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation."

Earlier Friday, Obama called the Arizona bill "misguided" and instructed the Justice Department to examine it to see if it's legal. He also said the federal government must enact immigration reform at the national level — or leave the door open to "irresponsibility by others."

"That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe," Obama said.

'Spiral of pervasive fear'
The legislation, sent to the Republican governor by the GOP-led Legislature, makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It also requires local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants, allows lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws, and make it illegal to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or knowingly transport them.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund said it plans a legal challenge to the law, arguing it "launches Arizona into a spiral of pervasive fear, community distrust, increased crime and costly litigation, with nationwide repercussions."

Brewer ordered the state's law enforcement licensing agency to develop a training course on how to implement the law while respecting civil rights.

The bill will take effect in late July or early August.

At the Capitol, some 2,000 protesters booed county Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox when she announced that "the governor did not listen to our prayers."

"It's going to change our lives," said Emilio Almodovar, a 13-year-old American citizen from Phoenix. "We can't walk to school any more. We can't be in the streets anymore without the pigs thinking we're illegal immigrants."

Brewer signed the bill in a state auditorium about a mile from the Capitol complex where demonstrators have protested the legislation since the measure was approved by lawmakers on Monday. Their numbers grew steadily throughout the week, with buses bringing protesters from as far away as Los Angeles.

Brewer, who faces a tough election battle and growing anger in the state over illegal immigrants, said the law "protects every Arizona citizen."

'Political handcuffs'
Anti-immigrant anger has swelled in the past month, after rancher Rob Krentz was found dead on his land north of Douglas, near the Mexico border. Authorities believe he was fatally shot by an illegal immigrant possibly connected to a drug smuggling cartel.

Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants, and its harsh, remote desert serves as the corridor for the majority of illegal immigrants and drugs moving north into the U.S. from Mexico.

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Democrat, said he closed his Arizona offices at noon Friday after his staff in Yuma and Tucson were flooded with calls this week, some from people threatening violent acts and shouting racial slurs. He called on businesses and groups looking for convention and meeting locations to boycott Arizona.

The bill's Republican sponsor, state Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, said Obama and other critics of the bill were "against law enforcement, our citizens and the rule of law."

Pearce said the legislation would remove "political handcuffs" from police and help drive illegal immigrants from the state.

"Illegal is illegal," said Pearce. "We'll have less crime. We'll have lower taxes. We'll have safer neighborhoods. We'll have shorter lines in the emergency rooms. We'll have smaller classrooms."

Strict, but necessary safety legislation, or abomination to civil liberties?

I know what I think...

In other words, unless you are stark white, be prepared to have a passport, driver's license, birth certificate, and a social security card if you wish to go through Arizona.

Guest

^^^Pretty much. I'm wondering how they're going to do this without racial profiling like the article said..

^^ That's exactly the problem. It's a matter of time before the cops abuse the power this gives them. And there'll be no legal recourse for the people they stop and interrogate -- civilian's word against a cop's? That won't stand up in court, if it even gets that far.

I always question the rules as to what an "immigrant" is in the first place. An immigrant delivered my first child and she was a fabulous girl.

Racism is always racism whatever mask it chooses to hide its ugly face behind Mad

Jan Brewer was asked by a reporter what an illegal immigrant looks like and you can just see it that she was holding back, "Mex-a-kins," but she wound up saying that she has no idea but hopes people in enforcement know how to spot them, which is a cop out.

This is just my observation. As a society, we are too fixated on the enemy from the outside and don't spend enough seeing the crimes being committed by people from within--that is why Hispanics and Muslims get shafted more often than not. Yes, there are some Muslim groups that wish to destroy America, but they get plastered all over the media all while groups like the Hutarie (however you spell it) get over looked because they are still part of us. This all hearken back to when we as a species mostly lived in small tribal communities where the small communities were constantly fighting each other over resources, so if someone doesn't look like you or others in your community, they are your enemy. Again, this is just my observation.

This is all about xenophobia and that's all it's about.

I wish I had something else to add to the discussion but everything that's been said is right on target.

You know what, I just don't see the big friggin deal about people having their Driver's License or ID on them, and being asked to show it at times. Is it uncomfortable and awkward to be asked, of course, but suck it up people. I'm sure the police don't want to shoulder this responsibility, but they have to, they always have to. Someone describe to me how we can have a prefect world where the police can just know who the illegals, drug-dealers, rapists, child-molesters, thieves and general bad-guys are; without asking some questions and putting some innocent people in the position to have to prove they aren't on of the bad-guys? We ask the police to do a really tough job, but when they do it, most people dislike them for it.

Profiling sucks, but it also works, because we're a visual-based animal. So if you're Mexican, Chilean, Iranian, Russian, Korean or American, and a police officer asks you for your ID, what's the big deal? Show them your ID and then go about your business, cursing out the police under your breath just like everyone else does. I'd show my ID everyday, if it meant that someone without one or who has committed some crime is called to task.

I was profiled once, dragged out of my car by the police at a Toll plaza and cuffed while they searched my car. The police uncuffed me and apologized to me a few minutes later, and told me that some guy with a goatee and long hair had stab his girlfriends and stolen her baby in a silver car. So you know what I did after being physically and verbally harassed; I sucked it up and went about my day. Because if they were doing that to me, then they must have been trying to do some good, so I let them go back to trying to save the day without whining about my delicate feelings. If someone is asked for their ID, it's not a personal attack, just someone doing a really difficult job.

^^ But they let you go, hon, that's the thing. If they wanted to see you as guilty of something, they would have come up with a reason to take you into custody, and probably have gotten away with it. I haven't got a lot of trust in the cops in this situation, esp. in a place rife enough with racist fervor to pass a law that makes these encounters easier.

I also don't see how this particular method "protects every Arizona citizen" any better than they were "protected" before. That sounds like Dubya-style drum-beating to me.

It's not about showing one's license, the will ask for papers pertaining to their legal right to be in this country.

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