The Republican Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, signed the widest-reaching and most Draconian immigration bill ever in the country into law Friday. The bill gives the power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally, and also makes the failure to carry immigration papers a crime. It is rare for the President to comment on state legislation, but President Obama spoke against the bill before it reached Governor Brewer’s desk. He called for a federal overhaul of immigration laws, but also cautioned against the breach of “the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.”
The bill signing was followed immediately by protests. Many opponents of the bill are concerned with the possible harassment and discrimination of Hispanics that measure effectively legalizes. At Mount Holyoke, a protest is being planned for Tuesday in Blanchard by MECHA.
As someone from Florida, a state that also has its own illegal immigration issues, I can slightly see where the frustration comes from those who wanted to pass this bill. And, on the surface, it may placate some and satisfy many more- those with the opinion that “serves em right- after all, they’re taking our jobs and using our services, aren’t they?” But this opinion, one that the Tea Party is rallying around, isn’t practical, justified, or American in the truest sense. An assumption that many may have is that immigrants work the lowest wage jobs, driving down the overall wages in the workforce. This assumption is based on just that- unfounded assumptions. In fact, more than half of the immigrants in urban areas are highly skilled, holding high paying jobs.
So yes, this bill is based on assumptions and fears, unwarranted or not. However, the bill brings out more fears that are based on what will be reality. The fear, for instance, of the natural born Hispanic who is stopped on the street by a police officer, and, for the simple act of looking like they might be there illegally, is arrested, detained, and given a hard time… until they ‘find out’ that the ‘illegal’ is actually an American citizen. But the police would have technically done nothing wrong in this action- a fuzzy line drawn by the bill that opens up a veritable Pandora’s Box of possible harassment, discrimination, and abuse.
What all happened to Viva Bush and the careful tending of the Hispanic voters by the Republican Party? This bill seems to turn that all around. Its not the first time Arizona has hurt the Party, but aren’t they mavericks down there, anyway?
Related posts:
- Students protest new AZ immigration law
- Prison companies funded immigration law
- Is immigration next on Obama’s checklist?
- Global financial crisis impacts Brazil’s immigration
- MA House and Senate pass anti-bullying bill
