Arizona Clears Strict Immigration Bill

[George Gervin's Afro]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...Tabs%3Darticle

Arizona Clears Strict Immigration Bill


By MIRIAM JORDAN


Arizona lawmakers on Tuesday passed one of the toughest pieces of immigration-enforcement legislation in the country, which would make it a violation of state law to be in the U.S. without proper do entation.

It would also grant police the power to stop and verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being illegal.

The bill could still face a veto from Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. A spokesman for Ms. Brewer said she has not publicly commented on the bill. Ms. Brewer, a Republican, has argued for stringent immigration laws.

Under the measure, passed Tuesday by Arizona's lower house, after being passed earlier by the state Senate, foreign nationals are required to carry proof of legal residency.

Immigrants' rights groups roundly criticized the bill. "The objective is to make life miserable for immigrants so that they leave the state," said Chris Newman, general counsel for the Los Angeles-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network. "The bill cons utes a complete disregard for the rights of nonwhites in Arizona. It effectively mandates racial profiling."

The bill's author, State Sen. Russell Pearce, was in a committee session Tuesday and couldn't be reached, his offices said. Mr. Pearce, a Republican, represents the city of Mesa, in Maricopa County, whose sheriff, Joe Arpaio, has gained a national reputation for his tough stance on immigration enforcement. A spokesman for Mr. Arpaio didn't return a request for comment.

The bill is different from an earlier version, giving protections for church and community organizations from criminal prosecution for transporting or harboring illegal immigrants.

In a statement, Tuesday Rep. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) called the measure "a comprehensive immigration enforcement bill that addresses the concerns of our communities, cons uents and colleagues."

"This updated version gives our local police officers the tools they need to combat illegal immigration, while protecting the civil rights of citizens and legal residents."However, human rights groups are certain to challenge the measure in court, said Joe Rubio, lead organizer for Valley Interfaith Project, a Phoenix-based advocacy group, calling it "an economic train wreck." He added that "Arizona's economic recovery will lag way behind the country's if we keep chasing away our workforce. Where do the legislators think business will find workers?"

The bill in some ways toughens up a situation that the Obama administration had tried to roll back. Under a program known as 287g, some local law enforcement agencies were trained to enforce federal immigration laws by checking suspects' immigration status.

Mr. Arpaio, the Maricopa county sheriff, had been one of the most aggressive enforcers of 287g. However, the Obama administration in recent months has sought to scale back that program, and had reduced the resources it made available to Mr. Arpaio's office and others.

I hope I don't forget my wallet in my hotel room when I visit Arizona.. I may end in Mexico

[LnGrrrR]

It would also grant police the power to stop and verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being illegal.

HA! Let's see THAT hold up in court.

"So officer, why do you think he was illegal?"
"Because he didn't speak English? Plus, he was doing construction work... lots of illegal Mexicans do that."

Also, there's no law mandating that citizens have to carry around paperwork. Technically, you don't have to show cops your ID... you just have to give them your name.

Unless they specify certain reasons for checking the ID, I don't see it lasting long.

[TeyshaBlue]

HA! Let's see THAT hold up in court.

"So officer, why do you think he was illegal?"
"Because he didn't speak English? Plus, he was doing construction work... lots of illegal Mexicans do that."

Also, there's no law mandating that citizens have to carry around paperwork. Technically, you don't have to show cops your ID... you just have to give them your name.

Unless they specify certain reasons for checking the ID, I don't see it lasting long.

Yup. The lack of paperwork mandate is the poison pill. I can see, however, the state legislature passing a measure mandating citizens of their state carry proof of residence tho.

[The Reckoning]

nah they just need to unleash some chupacabras on the border

[Stringer_Bell]

PAPERS! SHOW ME YOUR PAPERS NOW! *shoots*

I think this law shoes the desperation of AZ to combat the ills that the Federal Government cannot because they're too busy killing towel heads elsewhere. AZ is willing to give up the work force of maids they have in Scottsdale and the janitors in Phoenix...just to replace them with white people? That is not a lateral move, my friends.

[panic giraffe]

sickening.

[Oh, Gee!!]

it'll probably cost a lot to jail suspects until trial, and try them, and then send them to prison. seems to me that enforcing the law would be costly and difficult, if the probable cause for stopping somebody is that person's appearance.

[George Gervin's Afro]

it'll probably cost a lot to jail suspects until trial, and try them, and then send them to prison. seems to me that enforcing the law would be costly and difficult, if the probable cause for stopping somebody is that person's appearance.

and of course Obama would get the blame becuase they don't have the money or space to house the illegals..

[Oh, Gee!!]

and of course Obama would get the blame becuase they don't have the money or space to house the illegals..

why? the state of arizona will bear the cost on a state case

[IronMexican]

Disgusting.

[admiralsnackbar]

Disgusting.

I think Oh Gee nailed it. Despite the seeds of its own destruction being in the cons utionality of the law itself, the sheer cost of enforcement will bring this down in a hurry.

[TeyshaBlue]

It's odd when a state bothers to criminalize something that's already criminal. Odder, something like 47% of the Hispanic voters supported the last, punative immigration reform initiative in 2005.

[Oh, Gee!!]

the sheer cost of enforcement will bring this down in a hurry.

I'm assuming that the bonds will be ridiculously high, or that there will be no bonds granted, on these cases because of the risk of flight, which means that they'll be housing suspected "illegals" for months and even years until their cases are resolved. that can't be cheap.

[admiralsnackbar]

It's odd when a state bothers to criminalize something that's already criminal. Odder, something like 47% of the Hispanic voters supported the last, punative immigration reform initiative in 2005.

I'm sure you know this, but for those who may not, the Hispanic category is deceptive.

Racially, it seems be used as a euphemism for native American, but it encompasses that as well as white European, Caribbean black, Asian, etc.

Politically (in this country, at least), it suggests people with a historical connection to Mexico or Mexican culture, but the metric includes 1st generation immigrants all the way through people whose family history in the US stretches back centuries -- not to mention people of purely Spanish or Portuguese ancestry, and those from all over Latin America (which has a very ethnically and politically diverse make-up).

The net consequence is that the Hispanic label is often more diffuse than it seems, and making generalizations about the political motives of its cons uents often leads to ironic results -- just look at the vagueness of this year's census, which essentially ignored the distinction between white and Hispanic for what I believe are probably these reasons.

All to say that even if a high percentage of Hispanics vote for something like this law, it shouldn't necessarily be taken as counter-intuitive.

[TeyshaBlue]

I'm sure you know this, but for those who may not, the Hispanic category is deceptive.

Racially, it seems be used as a euphemism for native American, but it encompasses that as well as white European, Caribbean black, Asian, etc.

Politically (in this country, at least), it suggests people with a historical connection to Mexico or Mexican culture, but the metric includes 1st generation immigrants all the way through people whose family history in the US stretches back centuries -- not to mention people of purely Spanish or Portuguese ancestry, and those from all over Latin America (which has a very ethnically and politically diverse make-up).

The net consequence is that the Hispanic label is often more diffuse than it seems, and making generalizations about the political motives of its cons uents often leads to ironic results -- just look at the vagueness of this year's census, which essentially ignored the distinction between white and Hispanic for what I believe are probably these reasons.

All to say that even if a high percentage of Hispanics vote for something like this law, it shouldn't necessarily be taken as counter-intuitive.

Actually, I didn't know that Hispanic metrics could be so dilute. Thanks for the info!

[MannyIsGod]

It's odd when a state bothers to criminalize something that's already criminal. Odder, something like 47% of the Hispanic voters supported the last, punative immigration reform initiative in 2005.

Its not really. Its political pandering at its finest.

[MannyIsGod]

I'm sure the board conservatives and tea party enthusiasts will be up in arms against this bill, right?

[LnGrrrR]

The net consequence is that the Hispanic label is often more diffuse than it seems, and making generalizations about the political motives of its cons uents often leads to ironic results -- just look at the vagueness of this year's census, which essentially ignored the distinction between white and Hispanic for what I believe are probably these reasons.

The census was a bit ocnfusing for my wife for this very reason. Under race, it had white, black, native american, asian etc etc... but hispanic was listed under a different category. My wife is actually from Mexico, 100% full blooded. So she's like... "Uhm.. what race do I put?"

We decided to go with "Other" and then write "Mexican" in the box for her and our son.

[admiralsnackbar]

We decided to go with "Other" and then write "Mexican" in the box for her and our son.

Viva México, cabrones!

[boutons_deux]

"from Mexico, 100% full blooded"

No European blood in her? 100% Native American aka indigenous/aboriginal blood?

The N/S American aborigines who speak Spanish doesn't make them genetic Spanish.

[LnGrrrR]

"from Mexico, 100% full blooded"

No European blood in her? 100% Native American aka indigenous/aboriginal blood?

The N/S American aborigines who speak Spanish doesn't make them genetic Spanish.

There's probably European blood somewhere down the line, but we didn't feel like doing a genealogical report for the census.

[TeyshaBlue]

I'm sure the board conservatives and tea party enthusiasts will be up in arms against this bill, right?

I'm assuming the Tea Party guys wont' be. They're pretty much on the States Rights bandwagon.

[Winehole23]

It's odd when a state bothers to criminalize something that's already criminal. Odder, something like 47% of the Hispanic voters supported the last, punative immigration reform initiative in 2005.

That's a very popular misconception.

Actually, I think it's generally handled as an administrative infraction, not a criminal one. The distinction is significant.

[ginobme]

I'm assuming the Tea Party guys wont' be. They're pretty much on the States Rights bandwagon.

Really, I thought big gov't = socialist nazi communist russia agenda. Doesn't this just expand big brother into what they fear?

[Winehole23]

Criminalization of immigration violations is a novelty. It's what makes the OP news.