Immigration Law in Arizona Causes National Uproar
By Evan Delgado, staff writer
In Arizona, new, and arguably extreme, measures have been taken to dissuade the arrival of illegal immigrants. The law would make it a crime not to carry your immigration documents a crime. While some Republican politicians and anti-immigration groups advocate the decision, the proposal of the law sparked nationwide protests and even attracted criticism from President Obama.
All over the country, various organizations came out in opposition to the bill. The Major League Baseball (MLB) players’ union has taken a deferential stance on the issue, and some players have refused to play in Arizona stadiums. The University of Arizona even encountered students leaving in response to bill. Ira Gottlieb, a leading labor law attorney, said that, “I believe that the courts will rule that the law is unconstitutional, but until that happens, the police will use racial profiling to ask people to prove their citizenship, people will end up being detained unjustly, and it will create a great a great deal of fear among Latinos in Arizona. The result will be that immigrant workers will be driven farther underground and exploited more easily by unscrupulous employers. It will likely negatively impact all people of color, including many who are of long standing in the community, deterring them from appearing in public. ”
Mrs. Brewer signed the controversial bill April, 30, and stated that the bill would increase security within Arizona’s borders, and faced with the question of whether racial profiling would lead to harassment and discrimination of Latinos stated that “we have to trust law enforcement.” John McCain also supported the law, citing its emphasize on safety. The bill itself is fairly popular within the state of Arizona, although not within Hispanic minorities. Some political figures believe that the bill would truly keep Arizona safe, and that racial profiling would not be an issue. Taking a position contrary to that view, Joel Bellman, Press Deputy for County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, said, “Immigration is a national issue, not just a state matter. Here in California, we've tried to encourage immigrants to cooperate with, respect and rely on local law enforcement to help protect them and their communities - not to look upon the police and sheriff as arms of the federal government, as enemies to be avoided.” Bellman thinks that the police and other branches of law enforcement must be trusted in order to do their jobs. On May 1st, close to home in L.A., a massive rally marched through the streets to City Hall and listened to speeches from important members of local unions. The march averaged over 100,000 protestors, and swelled its ranks with people seeking equality in their everyday lives as well as a way to speak out against the immigration law in Arizona. Peter Olney, Organizing Director of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union National, said “As in 2006, these May Day marches by immigrants are the largest worker mobilizations in the history of the United States. Immigrant Latinos are reclaiming a tradition of working class struggle that began with the Haymarket martyrs in Chicago in the 19th century.” In front of city hall, a massive crowd thronged and shared in their desire to oppose racial inequality and the Arizona bill.
The Arizona bill has caused many organizations and political figures to come out of the wood work and express their opinions, but no opinion was louder than the voices of Hispanic individuals as well as many other Americans. The Mayday march in L.A. was one of many, another rally taking place in Dallas, Texas. While supporters of the law claim that law enforcement must be trusted by the people, the opposing side believes that racial profiling would be unavoidable.
By Evan Delgado, staff writer
In Arizona, new, and arguably extreme, measures have been taken to dissuade the arrival of illegal immigrants. The law would make it a crime not to carry your immigration documents a crime. While some Republican politicians and anti-immigration groups advocate the decision, the proposal of the law sparked nationwide protests and even attracted criticism from President Obama.
All over the country, various organizations came out in opposition to the bill. The Major League Baseball (MLB) players’ union has taken a deferential stance on the issue, and some players have refused to play in Arizona stadiums. The University of Arizona even encountered students leaving in response to bill. Ira Gottlieb, a leading labor law attorney, said that, “I believe that the courts will rule that the law is unconstitutional, but until that happens, the police will use racial profiling to ask people to prove their citizenship, people will end up being detained unjustly, and it will create a great a great deal of fear among Latinos in Arizona. The result will be that immigrant workers will be driven farther underground and exploited more easily by unscrupulous employers. It will likely negatively impact all people of color, including many who are of long standing in the community, deterring them from appearing in public. ”
Mrs. Brewer signed the controversial bill April, 30, and stated that the bill would increase security within Arizona’s borders, and faced with the question of whether racial profiling would lead to harassment and discrimination of Latinos stated that “we have to trust law enforcement.” John McCain also supported the law, citing its emphasize on safety. The bill itself is fairly popular within the state of Arizona, although not within Hispanic minorities. Some political figures believe that the bill would truly keep Arizona safe, and that racial profiling would not be an issue. Taking a position contrary to that view, Joel Bellman, Press Deputy for County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, said, “Immigration is a national issue, not just a state matter. Here in California, we've tried to encourage immigrants to cooperate with, respect and rely on local law enforcement to help protect them and their communities - not to look upon the police and sheriff as arms of the federal government, as enemies to be avoided.” Bellman thinks that the police and other branches of law enforcement must be trusted in order to do their jobs. On May 1st, close to home in L.A., a massive rally marched through the streets to City Hall and listened to speeches from important members of local unions. The march averaged over 100,000 protestors, and swelled its ranks with people seeking equality in their everyday lives as well as a way to speak out against the immigration law in Arizona. Peter Olney, Organizing Director of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union National, said “As in 2006, these May Day marches by immigrants are the largest worker mobilizations in the history of the United States. Immigrant Latinos are reclaiming a tradition of working class struggle that began with the Haymarket martyrs in Chicago in the 19th century.” In front of city hall, a massive crowd thronged and shared in their desire to oppose racial inequality and the Arizona bill.
The Arizona bill has caused many organizations and political figures to come out of the wood work and express their opinions, but no opinion was louder than the voices of Hispanic individuals as well as many other Americans. The Mayday march in L.A. was one of many, another rally taking place in Dallas, Texas. While supporters of the law claim that law enforcement must be trusted by the people, the opposing side believes that racial profiling would be unavoidable.