Rep. Loretta Sanchez said on MSNBC Wednesday that law the Arizona legislature has passed that would give police the power to stop people on the street and ask them to prove they are in the United States legally “does have the probability for racial profiling.’’
Immigration advocates and congressional lawmakers –particularly Hispanic members – have been up in arms over this bill that now sits on Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s desk. It’s believed to be the toughest immigration enforcement measure ever passed by a state legislature.
Arizona’s Republican governor – who replaced Janet Napolitano, now homeland security secretary -has not publicly stated her position on the bill. She has until Saturday to make up her mind.
“Certainly we as Americans have always been against an ID card’’ said Sanchez, D-Santa Ana. “All of a sudden you have a class of people who have to carry paperwork around.’’
Sanchez, a Latina born in Orange County, said she doesn’t carry her birth certificate around. Given her ethnicity she could well be stopped under a law like this.
“Does that mean they’ll deport me?” she asked.
Hispanic lawmakers have called on Brewer to veto the bill. And one Arizona Democrat – Rep. Ron Grijalva– wants an economic boycott of his state. He suggested Tuesday that groups refrain from holding conventions in Arizona and other such events if this bill becomes law.
Supporters of the measure say the state had to step in because the federal government is not living up to its responsibilities to enforce the nation’s immigration laws.
The bill also makes day laborers illegal in Arizona.
[Posted by Brenda Diaz]
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