Today is a sad day for America. Especially for us Latinos who see this as a major setback in the fight for equality and civil rights. The immigration bill signed into law by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is not one designed to curb illegal immigration, but rather it legalizes racial persecution and institutionalizes discrimination.
It represents the first outcome -- of many to come -- pushed and supported by the hateful rhetoric peddled time and again by the Tea Party and many of its followers. Worst of all, there is no longer a disguise or an attempt to hide behind the cloak of an economic argument. It is the latent persecution of those who fail to fit the "American Citizen" model created by the imagination of Teabaggers, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and the full array of cronies demanding to take a country back that never belonged exclusively to them.
The signs have been there all along. For the past month, the Latino group Cuéntamehas chronicled the racist agenda within the Tea Party and the targeting of our Latino constituency as a whole. Through a series of videos Cuéntame exposed the racial slurs, the violent actions and the hatred only to be dismissed as political hackery. Now the provocation becomes a reality, the threats become politics and the hatred becomes law.
This is what the Tea Party wanted all along. This is what FOX network, its biggest megaphone, had hoped for: A country willing to sacrifice its civil rights for an invisible sense of relief based on a false pretension that the country is or will be white and monolithic.
Just picture what the new law entails? A law enforcement official hears you speaking Spanish or English with an accent, they stop you and ask to see a passport. You might or might not carry it at that moment. You are detained indefinitely, hours - even days. How about if you happen to be walking while brown, I sure know my family does all the time. According to the law, this could possibly well be evidence of being "illegal."
Your appearance, your clothes, your language, your location, your activities or anything that may trigger suspicion - regardless of whether it is actually suspicious or not - is grounds for detention. That is called persecution here and especially in China.
This is precisely the main reason why we need a humane and intelligent immigration reform. The longer it takes for Congress to take action, the more of these obscene local and state laws we'll see coming out of the woodwork. There's a leadership vacuum at the federal level on immigration and it needs to be filled by President Obama. In today's America this can no longer happen.
Without a doubt the law will eventually be stricken down as unconstitutional, but not before many families are broken and many lives are impacted. This is a direct threat and attack to the Latino community. Latinos we must organize - and show our strengths at the polls. We must tell Gov. Jan Brewer, she is the one no longer welcome. We must tell Sen. McCain he is no longer welcome, and we must tell the AZ state legislature THEY are too no longer welcome.
This is the time for us to mobilize for immigration reform is NOW.
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Here's the rest;
Center for Immigration Studies
http://cis.org/Announcement/AZ-Immigration-SB1070
From that page...
"Before asking a person about immigration status, law enforcement officials are required by the law to have “reasonable suspicion” that a person is an illegal immigrant. The concept of “reasonable suspicion” is well established by court rulings. Since Arizona does not issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, having a valid license creates a presumption of legal status. Examples of reasonable suspicion include:
• A driver stopped for a traffic violation has no license, or record of a driver's license or other form of federal or state identification.
• A police officer observes someone buying fraudulent identity documents or crossing the border illegally.
• A police officer recognizes a gang member back on the street who he knows has been previously deported by the federal government.
The law specifically states that police, “may not solely consider race, color or national origin” when implementing SB 1070.
When Arizona’s governor signed the new law, she also issued an executive order requiring the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to provide local police with additional training on what does and what does not constitute “reasonable suspicion.”
Those using their media influence or political position to misinform and incite the public to take action should be ashamed AND held responsible for any harm that comes as a result of that.
If you really care to understand the bill (which apparently few do) please read the bill itself http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf and a clear and simple explanation that can be found here; Center for Immigration Studies
http://cis.org/Announcement/AZ-Immigration-SB1070
It is because they have deliberately broken our laws by crossing the border, and by remaining in this country without authorization.
I agree the law is difficult to enforce. That is why it pisses me off even more. Why do these people think they have the right or entitlement to create such burdons for our society???
Every law gets more cumbersome to enforce the more widely it gets violated. Laws that are widely violated become contagious as they make violations of 'adjacent' laws more widespread. And so it goes.
Tens of millions of people flagrantly violating our laws is a VERY SERIOUS problem.
The last great Comprehensive Immigration Reform (Simpson-Mazzoli) was supposed to be a compromise.
The People would agree to amnesty for those here illegally and the Government would agree to enforce laws against employing illegal immigrants.
After the law passed, the Left and Right turned around fought every enforcement measure to completely eliminate employer sanctions. Kennedy was one of the worst.
So lets finish implementing our current Immigration Reform (Simpson-Mazzoli) and enforce “no-match” letters and require E-Verify for a while and be fair.
The Government needs to show some good faith and keep their promises from Simpson-Mazzoli act. Enforce our current law for a while before you ask the American people to once again trust you when you say your willing to actually do any of the enforcement that will be part of any new Immigration Reform.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Verify
http://www.ssa.gov/employer/noMatchNotices.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Reform_and_Control_Act_of_1986
I have no problem with foreigners coming to the US legally, and even immigrating and becoming citizens. What I found outrageous is that many people believe they are somehow entitled to live in this country yet have no respect for our very reasonable laws.
Then I get even more pissed that we have to spend tons of money trying to pick up the mess, track down these people, and send them back home. Its a dangerous, dirty, and expensive process.
People, this isn't confusing. The reason we have as problem is because millions upon millions of illegal immigrants have disrespected our laws, and taken advantage of our patience. This is a perfect example of give an inch/take a mile.
What did you think would happen? Latino citizens who are outraged at the prospect of the US government being forced to enforce its laws should have been outraged earlire when those laws were being disrespected and broken.
Why is anyone trying to blame the government/police when this all stems from foreign nationals disrespecting our borders and laws and trying to live here illegally?
That is the problem.
Strict Scrutiny, that is Suspect Class precedent from the supremes, as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1965, prohibit this kind of law. The very general nature that is most disturbing, will eventually be thrown out. But the path to civil rights is never easy, and the fight will take years. We need federal laws that prohibit this kind of thing, that secure immigration firmly in the federal arena.
Who's going to work in the restaurant kitchens, bus tables, do yardwork, construction, clean businesses, hotels, homes, wash cars, and look after kids?
Many of the Vietnamese women who work in nail salons don't have papers, so who's going to give manicures and pedicures? Many undocumented immigrants own homes and businesses and their children go to local schools. They are also renters, they buy cars, and are local consumers. So, Arizona, are you ready to fend for yourselves?
J
Don't blame the government or the police for now having to 'over compensate' to remedy these flagrant violations.
Asking someone for documents really isn't that big a deal people.
If you are here illegally, then please get out and spare everyone the trouble and cost. You have no one but yourselves to blame.
I also support taking employers who support illegal immigrants to the cleaners. They too are complicit.
Anyone who wants to come to this country to live and work please follow the law get a visa.
I know that some white people in NY aren't bankers but how do you expect the cops to be able to tell the difference? So every single white person, since almost all the Goldman Sachs, AIG, Lehmans exec were white, need to have everything on a flash drive. If we stop you and you can't prove that you aren't currently involved in a massive fraud what we are going to do is detain you for a while until we can figure out exactly what you financial status actually is. Don't worry, since the cops are great at financial instruments it shouldn't take more than a couple of months of "detention" but during that time, we will treat you like a criminal, even if you are plumber instead of a banker because hey, we can't risk another financial meltdown.
I'm a black, college grad who makes a six-figure income, and has never been in trouble with the law, nor who has ever worn clothing, or drove cars that fit the profile of a gang member, and I'VE BEEN PROFILED when it's supposed to be illegal!!
Now there's a law that gives any crooked cop the green light to profile someone and get away with it??
This is not China. Yes we have an illegal citizens problem. Yes the Feds are not doing their jobs to protect the border, BUT THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM!
Whites who make comments like get over it, or stop playing the race card are being disengenuous about this issue because they don't have to worry about getting stopped by that crooked cop. Arizona has moved that much closer to a police state. SAD...
"First they came ..." is a famous statement attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.
"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up."
If people don't respect the laws, then our society cannot function. If people don't respect our borders, then we in essence have no country.
This is true of ANY COUNTRY.
A N Y C O U N T R Y
Maybe you have good reasons for not wanting to obey the laws or respect ourt borders, but just be ready for the consequences.
It is totally absurd that this has been allowed to go on for so long.
If you don't like the laws, then please lobby to change them. Don't blame the police and government for enforcing very basic laws.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Great Insights!
I've reposted your comments on my Blog.
http://immigrationmexicanamerican.blogspot.com/
Thank you.