I know that I'm a bit late for this bandwagon, but I haven't whined about politics in a while. Even though school is over and this is no longer an assignment, I hope to update this lovely blog offshoot from time to time. Who knows, maybe I'll integrate it better with my actual website eventually!
Back to my intended rant topic however, I want to talk about Arizona's fun new immigration law. I was bored enough today to download the full, 19 page text of the law, and here are some especially fun bits that I found.
"FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON, EXCEPT IF THE DETERMINATION MAY HINDER OR OBSTRUCT AN INVESTIGATION. ANY PERSON WHO IS ARRESTED SHALL HAVE THE PERSON'S IMMIGRATION STATUS DETERMINED BEFORE THE PERSON IS RELEASED."
To sum this bit up, Arizona law enforcers are basically supposed to arrest anyone who they believe looks like an illegal alien. And before these "reasonably suspicious" persons are released, their immigration status has to be verified. More on this later.
"IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES AND WHO IS AN UNAUTHORIZED ALIEN TO KNOWINGLY APPLY FOR WORK, SOLICIT WORK IN A PUBLIC PLACE OR PERFORM WORK AS AN EMPLOYEE OR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR IN THIS STATE."
I just thought this was funny, since obviously this very specific law is going to stop people. "Hm. I'm unlawfully in this country. I should NOT try to get a job, even though my family is starving and I wouldn't be in this country in the first place if I didn't want a job."
The bill goes on to discuss the different ways that it is editing current laws, including ones about employment and transporting illegals, but there aren't any more fun quotes.
So back to that first quote, which is the most important in this blog. There has been a lot of talk thrown around regarding "racial profiling", and let's be honest, that's exactly what this law is condoning. Think about this for a second, what gives a police officer reasonable suspicion for believing someone is an illegal immigrant? How does one look illegal? Does one drive carefully so as not to be pulled over? Does one constantly check over one's shoulders for border patrol? Does one have a tattoo reading "I'm in this country illegally! Na-na-na!"
No. All one has to do is look Hispanic, and police officers are justified under this law to arrest you.
This brings up an interesting paradox, however. Not all illegal immigrants are from Mexico, although they are the majority. According to the Urban Institute, "between 65,000 and 75,000 undocumented Canadians currently live in the United States." And according to the Department of Homeland Security, 280,000 people from India and 230,000 people from China are in this country illegally. Does that mean that police officers are justified in pulling over anyone who looks Chinese or Indian? Of course not!
Unfortunately, just from visual cues, there is really nothing that sets illegal immigrants apart from the rest of society. This law is inherently racist, and it's clearly a violation of our freedom. Illegal immigration needs to be quelled, or at least dealt with, but this law is not the way to do it. I can only hope that soon, someone, somewhere will realize just how awful this law is and destroy it before it goes too much further.
1984, anyone?
Bri, you breezed over the first sentence of the law you quoted: "FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.." No one will be profiled unless they are somehow otherwise pulled over for a traffic infraction (and their must be an infraction) or are in court for some other reason.
ReplyDeleteArizona citizens know that the strain of supporting infrastructure for a populace that "does not exist" (especially in a recession) resulted in taking matters into their own hands. Federal laws preventing illegal immigration are woefully ignored and under utilized. And while this law is not perfect (there aren't any), it did get the country talking about this issue again. California is under the same strain as is Texas
Have you ever considered why Texas doesn't complain as much as other southwest states? I'll tell you why: NO STATE INCOME TAX. Yep, if you live there legally or otherwise, you help pay for your stay every day through your normal shopping and living via the higher stay sales tax. Sales tax does not discriminate and works...income tax discriminates greatly and doesn't work. It all comes down to money.