Conservative Latinos Consider Abandoning GOP After Arizona Immigration Controversy

Arizona's tough new legislation designed to crackdown on illegal immigration is earning low marks from Hispanic-Americans, and may even be driving them out from under the GOP tent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

From the Journal piece:

Adam Bustos, a third-generation Mexican-American, has voted Republican since Ronald Reagan ran for president. But he has been reconsidering his party affiliation since Arizona State Gov. Jan Brewer signed the nation's toughest immigration law last month.

"I've been thinking I might leave the party," said Mr. Bustos, a 58-year-old Arizona native. "A lot of my Latino Republican friends have been talking about it after this law."

Arizona's SB 1070 gives expansive new powers to law enforcement officials attempting to halt the flow of illegal immigrants into the border state. While the bill's supporters say that the measures are a reaction to the federal government's failure to adequately secure the border, critics say that is a latent endorsement of racial profiling that will lead to harassment of Latinos, regardless of legal status.

Now, as the Journal reports, conservative Latinos, who have become an increasingly important Republican constituency in a number of Southwestern states, are considering bucking their party. SB 1070's negative impact seems to be making ripples all the way to the furthest right Hispanics within the GOP.

Comments

[justmeinAz]

12:03 AM on 05/31/2010

The libs here are totally racist. How many posts against this law say things like "guess Az will have to do their own housecleaning and gardening now."
Really? Someone says "hispanic" and the thing that comes to mind is gardeners and house cleaners? Could they be more blatantly stereotyping people?
Of course, if a non-liberal mentioned "immigrant" and "gardner" in the same sentence, you'd be flagged off in five minutes for being racist.
These conversations are painful with them because of their gaping intellectual dishonesty.

[spytheweb]

04:42 AM on 05/15/2010

"Minnesota House Republicans rolled out their own brand of Arizona-inspired immigration legislation Thursday, which they said was necessary to deal with the estimated 100,000 illegal immigrants in Minnesota.

The bill, introduced by State Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa), is called the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" and like its Arizona predecessor it would impose many of the most controversial measures put in place by that legislation.

The Minnesota Independent reports:

The bill would create a Minnesota Illegal Immigration Enforcement Team and require immigrants to carry an "alien registration" card. The bill uses the same "reasonable suspicion" protocol that has generated criticism against Arizona's law."

[Margo Arrowsmith]

07:57 AM on 05/10/2010

"Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act"

Lets see:

1. As far as supporting law enforcement It gives them more to do, expects them to decide who looks illegal with no guidelines other than some politicians remark that they have funny shoes AND takes time away from doing their job

2. As far as making neighborhoods safe: It gives neighbors who want to complain about the next door family not mowing their lawns often enough another way to complain and get revenge, See above.

The name is truly creative in an Orwellian way.

[tbone99]

02:18 PM on 05/14/2010

Does the family that turns their neighbor in , get to keep their stuff too?

[Al K]

02:48 PM on 05/07/2010

There have been several major polls now on Arizona's. All with the same result. It is looking pretty consistent; 2 to 1 in favor of Arizona's law. It is probably going to get worse for the opponents of this law now known as "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" ( the name it doesn't exactly roll of the tongue). The more people read this law the more are going to realize the law was written to prohibit profiling. Especially given that a follow up bill was passed to lock in the "No Profiling" provisions;

This is a direct quote from the law: "A law enforcement official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state may not consider race, color or national origin in the enforcement of this section except to the extent permitted by the United States or Arizona constitution." This phrase, and ones that are almost identical, show up several times in Arizona's law.

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/hb2162c.htm

[tbone99]

02:21 PM on 05/14/2010

Easy to get around and has been done in Conneticut. The police officer puts down he's stopping a white person everytime he stops a Hispanic , so there is no appearance of racial profiling.
After all they're not a race.

[carmenjonze]

02:57 AM on 05/30/2010

I've been saying something similar...quit touting that HB2162 got rid of "racial profiling" because it didn't. "Hispanic" can be considered "any race", so HB2162 and its proponents are full o'crap.

[MardenWGBH]

03:53 PM on 05/06/2010

Interested in the recent passage of the controversial immigration law in Arizona; the impact of the law on communities of color, the potential for racial profiling, and the moves towards immigration law reform on the federal level?

Curious about the current state of African American and Latino relations?

These issues and other important questions regarding politics and the black community are the topic of discussion on the PBS show Basic Black, which you can watch tonight (Thursday) at 7:30 p.m EST LIVE at www.basicblack.org or on channel 2 in Boston. You can also participate in a live chat at basicblack.org starting at 4 pm

[LAMartin72]

01:27 PM on 05/06/2010

I know. "Considering?" What else does the GOP have to do? Their message with this legislation is loud and clear. "We want your vote, but we're not interested in you otherwise. P.S. We're pretty sure you will still vote for us after this. Right?"

[Amishguy]

10:08 AM on 05/05/2010

Oh NOW they pay attention?? How hard do you have to beat these people in the head before they stop supporting a group that HATES them!

[PG13]

10:05 AM on 05/05/2010

lol, besides Cuban exiles, i dont understand why Latinos would be even GOP

[LiberalDemIda]

02:17 AM on 05/06/2010

It's usually the older people. Some were given amnesty by Pres. Reagan - about 6 million of them, I believe. I guess some feel indebted to the Republican Party because of it. Most, however, became Democrats and that's why the Right are so angry with them and are really going after them, with SB 1070 being the latest law targeting them.

[Al K]

02:28 PM on 05/07/2010

2.7 million were given amnesty in 1986.

[spytheweb]

04:46 AM on 05/15/2010

There are democrats who support this law, and i'am one of them.

[tbone99]

02:23 PM on 05/14/2010

Two reasons
Evangelicalism
Catholicism

They've got it bad.

[carmenjonze]

02:44 AM on 05/30/2010

Not to mention the ones who got the idea they're honorary white because they are conservatives.

That is, until they get the negro treatment, then ohh suddenly it's time to reconsider conservatism.

[1differentdrummer]

06:44 AM on 05/05/2010

Well, think it over and after consideration, do it. When you really think about it you'll realize you were only tolerated in the R tiny popup tent anyway. I changed to vote D when I realized R candidates where I was never talked about changes to directly better the lot of all people. We'd welcome your influence in the Dem party.

[henrypapillon]

02:21 AM on 05/05/2010

And if that doesn't convince you, let me slam your head in the car door a few times for good measure.

[John Horner]

02:14 AM on 05/05/2010

Conservative Latinos would do well to get over whatever issues have had them voting Republican in the past and really think about who does them the most good. Republicans have become expert at using a few hot button emotional issues to garner support from people they then turn around and undermine.

[JBoy]

02:27 AM on 05/05/2010

Ooh, sounds like a conspiracy.

[yellowdoggie]

02:29 AM on 05/05/2010

Ask the conservative evangelical xtians who supported GWB how it turned out for them.

[JBoy]

01:40 AM on 05/05/2010

Conservative Latinos consider becoming liberal?

[yellowdoggie]

02:15 AM on 05/05/2010

There are many roads that lead us to the truth. Perhaps this is how Latinos will come up from Conservatism.

[henrypapillon]

02:22 AM on 05/05/2010

But what will the padre think?

[LogicalMathMan]

01:07 AM on 05/05/2010

One way to ensure McCain is defeated come November...la...de...da...

[Todays Illusion]

12:10 AM on 05/05/2010

I am concerned about the saety of the illegal immigrants working in Arizona agriculture.
They are trapped and can be turned into slaves. They can't leave, they will be arrested.
That means they can be exploited at will by the big agribusinesses. And those aren't
little family farms operating in Arizona.

[JBoy]

12:41 AM on 05/05/2010

Why can't they leave? The law hasn't gone into effect yet. I'd be surprised if any illegals are acually employed anyway. The IRS is heavily fining any businesses that empoy illegal aliens.

[Todays Illusion]

01:46 AM on 05/05/2010

Where do you live, You don't know how kindly big Agribusiness is treated.
I am in CA, no one bothers 'the growers." (I farm)
I bet it is the same in AZ.

[Todays Illusion]

01:48 AM on 05/05/2010

It is the same in Texas and Florida.
Illegal immigrants are slaves to the huge Agribusinesses.
Not little growers like me,we prefer local residents.

[Klute71]

11:54 PM on 05/04/2010

It is so unreasonable that conservatives here jump to the extremist conclusion that all "libs" want to harbor illegals, want to promote wide open unregulated borders, etc...this is so not-true!

But, after 9/11 a lot of expense and effort went into screening people fairly! As unnecessary as it may have seemed, 80 year old Caucasian grandma's were checked at random at the airports, the same as Saudi businessmen. All to show that America was above prejudice and above racial profiling! To suddenly make it “OK” to single out “tan” LEGAL Americans and ask many who’s families have been here for generations to prove they are lawful citizens may not seem like “that big of a deal”, but it is certainly a huge indicator of the giant step backwards we’re taking as a society!