It's been "entertaining" the last few days to watch the news media and listen to the protests over the new bill in Arizona. I am 100% behind the intent of the new law but I do worry some about it's implementation. When the enforcement sections of the statute have phrases like, "when practicable" and "reasonable suspiscion" there are going to be some gray areas and potential for abuse.
The media has been making some very broad statements and distortions concerning what's actually contained within the new law. Basically there's nothing really new to Arizona's law except that is forces local law enforcement to enforce immigration. It also prohibits and tries to prevent so called "sanctuary city" policies. For years, Phoenix police officers were forbidden to inquire about an individual's immigration status.
It has been an absolutely ridiculous situation down here for years and people are tired of it and want something done. There's no easy solution, but any solution has to focus on two key aspects; securing the border and eliminating the draw that this side of the border has. While a lot can be done to secure the border, nothing will be 100% effective. The border in the southwest is just too long, remote and has a lot of rough terrain. One of the things that can be done to eliminate the draw on this side of the border is for it to be known that there is a high probability if in this country illegally, and individual will be caught and made to suffer penalties. Currently, there is little chance of an illegal being "caught" and if they are the penalties at all they are mild.
Case in point for the above, there is currently a "person of interest" in the shooting of the Arizona rancher a few weeks ago. That "person of interest" is a Mexican national that lives in the border town on Aqua Prieta. He has been deported previously on four separate occarions, is a suspect in 20 separate burglaries in Cochise county (that's a border county for folks not familiar with Arizona geography), and has an arrest record that includes, robbery, assault ansd sexual assault. To my knowledge, this story broke this week and has only been reported in the local newspaper for Sierra Vista and received no national attention. After all, we wouldn;t want people to feel outraged and be in support of the new legislation in Arizona.
I've included a bullet point explanation of what's included within it. I'd encourage members to research and make an informed opinion rather than believe what the media is reporting on the content and intent of the new law.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizo...grationbill0420.html
Here are some nutshell bullet points:
• Prohibit state, city or council officials from limiting or restricting "the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal authority" and allow an Arizona resident to sue an official or agency that adopts or implements a policy or practice that does so. The bill contains a "loser pays" provision meant to deter frivolous lawsuits.
• Require law enforcement to make a reasonable attempt "when practicable" to determine the immigration status of a person if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is in the U.S. illegally.
• Make it a state crime to be an illegal immigrant, by creating a state charge of "willful failure to complete or carry an alien-registration document."
• Make it a crime for illegal immigrants to work or solicit work in Arizona.
• Make it a crime to pick up a day laborer for work if the vehicle impedes traffic while doing so. Make it a crime to be picked up as a day laborer if the vehicle the person gets into is impeding traffic.
• Make it a crime to conceal, harbor or shield an illegal immigrant if the person knows or recklessly disregards the immigrant's legal status. Does create a legal defense for someone providing emergency, public-safety or public-health services to illegal immigrants.