Which Arizona Democrats Oppose SB 1070?
This month, Arizona has passed and signed into law SB 1070, a law that allows law enforcement officials to take people to detention centers solely for not carrying their identification papers. The law directs law enforcement to scan Arizona communities for people who look like illegal immigrants. But, what does an illegal immigrant look like? The idea is that Hispanic people look like illegal immigrants. SB 1070 makes it a crime to be Hispanic without carrying proof of citizenship.
This isn’t a theoretical crime. It’s something that’s already resulted in detentions of American citizens. For example, an American truck driver has been detained for being caught without his birth certificate. He was perfectly able to produce his birth certificate later, proving that he was born in Fresno, California. Why, though, should he need to prove such a thing, merely to walk down the street? Because he’s Hispanic?
It has been pointed out that, in the Arizona state House and Senate, only Republicans voted for SB 1070. While that’s true, not all Arizona Democrats are vigorously opposing the new law.
Consider the five Arizona Democrats currently serving in the House of Representatives. Raul Grijalva has sent a letter to President Obama asking that the federal government refuse to cooperate with SB 1070, a law that clearly violates the Constitution’s protections against unreasonable search and seizure of papers, as well as the Constitution’s guarantee of equality for all people under the law.
Grijalva wrote, “SB 1070 is a dangerous and mean spirited law that improperly imposes state law upon Federal prerogatives relating to matters of foreign policy, immigration and naturalization. The bill encourages racial profiling and threatens the safety and privacy of immigrants and citizens, especially Latinos. I call on your leadership to challenge, in any way possible, this un-constitutional and discriminatory law. I urge you to make clear that the Federal Government will not participate in any way in the enforcement of this law or cooperate with the state of Arizona in its implementation and execution.”
Ed Pastor released a statement opposing SB 1070 as well. He wrote, “Arizona is better than this. Our nation is better than this. Passage of this bill will severely set back all the civil rights we have fought for in this country. It’s embarrassing to continue to see our state legislature churn out these hate-filled measures that offer no real solutions and violate our civil rights.”
Both of these U.S. Representatives placed their statements prominently on their official congressional web sites, in vigorous protest against SB 1070. Arizona’s other House Democrats have not done so. Ann Kirkpatrick, Gabrielle Giffords and Harry Mitchell have posted no statements about SB 1070 on their congressional web sites at all. Neither have they made statements on their re-election campaign web sites.
It appears that Kirkpatrick, Giffords and Mitchell are willing to stay silent, and accept the abuses against their constituents’ civil rights that are now required by law under SB 1070. They didn’t have the chance to vote against the law, but they’re not lifting a finger in protest against it.
This bill is an over reaction to a lack of enforcement by the administrations (past and present), like anything born out of a reaction to inaction the result is a generalized solution with complete disreguard to its true impact.
I have to agree about one thing though… when we talk about fairness how is this lassaiz faire attitude that our country has had over illegal immigration fair to those who have gone through the legal pathway of immigration?
if fairness is what we’re looking at then the abused ones so far have been those who followed the rules,
This article, by Congress Watcher, is so biased. You should be embarrassed. I hope Andrew Brietbart finds it and posts it on his Big Government blog.
“The law directs law enforcement to scan Arizona communities for people who look like illegal immigrants.” Why not quote from the bill, SB 1070, to show that this assertion is a lie!
Why not quote arrogant Democrats that plan to sue for a million dollars if they are asked to identify themselves by an Arizona police officer when stopped for a traffic violation?
Why not change the caption of that peculiar sidebar photo of two Democrats into ‘Two Hispanic men stopped by the police in Arizona just because they have goatees different from other Americans. Now they face deportation to Guatemala.’?
Why not promote a rabid boycott campaign against Arizona Iced Tea? Oh, wait, it’s made in New York City. Never Mind.
Why not herald the calls by detestable demagogues like Tony Villar, Mayor of Los Angeles (he lengthened his name when he got married but now he’s divorced) and others in Sanctuary cities that are promoting a boycott of Arizona for having the audacity to direct their police officers to enforce the law in direct violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act’s prohibition on restraint of trade?
When I happened upon this article and saw that you were supposedly independent, I had wonderful expectations of reading a balanced article. Instead I found and incredibly biased article written by an individual who has clearly not read the bill quoting people who have not read it either.
For anyone who would like to know what the bill says, here is the official link http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf, it is only 17 pages long and not hard to understand
Christine, you may not like what you read in this article, but that doesn’t change the fact that That’s My Congress is independent. We’re not affiliated with any political party, organization or corporation. Being independent doesn’t mean that we aren’t able to come to a conclusion after looking at the facts. Sometimes, a balanced approach leads to support for one side or the other in an argument. Balance isn’t in the middle when the weight of facts lays in one particular direction.
Also, we’ve read the bill. Can you actually refute what’s been said in this article about the legislation?
Congress Watcher, you asked Christine to actually refute what’s been said in this article about the legislation. Let me give it a go.
“This month, Arizona has passed and signed into law SB 1070, a law that allows law enforcement officials to take people to detention centers solely for not carrying their identification papers.”
ARTICLE 8. ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION LAWS 11-1051. Cooperation and assistance in enforcement of immigration laws; indemnification.
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B. FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY
OF THIS STATE OR 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. THE
PERSON’S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).
C. IF AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES IS CONVICTED OF A VIOLATION OF STATE OR LOCAL LAW, ON DISCHARGE FROM IMPRISONMENT OR ASSESSMENT OF ANY FINE THAT IS IMPOSED, THE ALIEN SHALL BE TRANSFERRED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CUSTODY OF THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OR THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
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J. THIS SECTION SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL LAWS REGULATING IMMIGRATION, PROTECTING THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF ALL PERSONS AND RESPECTING THE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS.
“The law directs law enforcement to scan Arizona communities for people who look like illegal immigrants. ”
Really? Where in the law does it say to target those who look like illegal immigrants? What I found in the law states that officers can ask for identification during the course of a routine traffic stop, or during the investigation of a crime. If you don’t provide identification, the officer is well within his right to attempt to assertain your true identity…..now who would possibly want to hide their true identity from law enforcement officers……oh yeah….criminals and illegal aliens.
SB1070 does nothing more than add teeth to US Laws and Regulations already on the books.
But hey, everybody is entitled to their own opinions….even if they are wrong.
Oh and a better title for this blog would be:
A politically independent (based on how I mis-understand the law) journal of the campaigns and legislation of the United States Congress.
“The law directs law enforcement to scan Arizona communities for people who look like illegal immigrants.” Quoting you but not the law! I happened on this web site accidentally and won’t be back. Only two comments, though. First, any law, federal on down to local statutes can be applied with a racial bias: The transit cops can bust an old black man for jumping the turnstile, but look the other way when a white college student does it. Secondly, to suggest that the law will be applied with a racial bias is to imply that our Arizona cops are already racist. What a sad person you are.
Its a shame that people cant read between the lines. You all know what this law implies. The color of my skin is not a crime!
[...] When S.B. 1070, the Arizona law to allow police to arrest people merely for looking Hispanic while walking down the street without their birth certificates, was passed into law, the Democratic delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives from that state was divided. Some of Arizona’s House Democrats spoke out strongly against S.B. 1070. Others looked the other way and didn’t say anything at all. [...]