Controversy Erupts Over Arizona Immigration Bill

The recently passed Arizona immigration measure, Arizona Senate Bill 1070, has ignited a firestorm of controversy. Latino Congress members have lambasted the bill as making racial profiling and discrimination part of Arizona police procedure. The state of Arizona is among the hardest taxed states regarding illegal immigrants, with law enforcement there running for to deal with the problem.

The Arizona immigration bill SB 1070

The Arizona immigration bill, SB 1070 has passed the Arizona House and is set to go the governors’ desk soon. The bill, according to the Christian Science Monitor, would enable police officers to determine immigration status of suspects involved in crime. The bill would also make it a misdemeanor for immigrants to not have immigration paperwork on their person. Endorsers of the bill contend the state is stepping in where the federal government hasn’t, after record numbers of illegal immigrants and a rancher’s murder. If no solution is reached soon, Arizona may be looking for additional cash to keep up with the $ 1 billion it annually spends.

Latino members of Congress in opposition

Several Latino members of Congress have called for Jan Brewer, the governor of Arizona to veto the bill, according to CNN. Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva (D) has blasted the bill as discriminatory against an entire ethnic group. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) contends it also impedes federal immigration authority as well. Isabel Garcia, an Arizona legal defender, contends the bill “legalizes racial profiling.”

Bill deemed totalitarian by LA Cardinal

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Archbishop of the Los Angeles Diocese Cardinal Roger Mahony has dubbed the authority granted law enforcement officials as using “German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques.” Bishop of the Tucson Diocese, Gerald Kicanas also protested the bill, and both are calling on Governor Brewer to veto the bill. Both call for a fairer policy on immigration, and on Mahony’s blog, Mahony contends the attitudes on illegal immigration as unrealistic and unfair.

Immigration reform battles have a long history

Anti-immigration legislation has a long and bloody record in the U.S. Asian immigrants were the topic in the 19th century (also in WWII) and Latin American immigrants are today’s cause du jour. There are numerous attempts to tackle illegal immigration from Mexico for decades. Authoritarian solutions seem to be ineffective, so perhaps a lot more pragmatic solutions are needed.

Sources

Christian Science Monitor

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/0415/Arizona-illegal-immigration-bill-draconian-or-common-sense

CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/20/arizona.immigration/

Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0420-mahony-immigration-20100420,,6923812.story

Cardinal Roger Mahony’s blog

http://cardinalrogermahonyblogsla.blogspot.com/