Referendum could delay Arizona immigration law to 2012

(posted by Uriel Rivera)

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/04/28/20100428arizona-immigration-law-referendum-could-delay.html

A group calling itself One Arizona filed petitions with the state Wednesday to refer Arizona's new immigration law

to the November ballot.

It's the second referendum drive announced this week.

One Arizona chairman Andrew Chavez, who runs a petition-circulation company, said the groups want voters to overturn Senate Bill 1070.

He declined to identify One Arizona, other than to say it consists of concerned Arizona groups and individuals. The emergence of One Arizona has prompted an earlier referendum effort to narrow its scope.

Gary Peter Klahr, a disbarred attorney who is working with activist Jon Garrido on a separate repeal of the immigrationlaw, said his group will seek a vote on what he called the "objectionable" parts of SB 1070, instead of trying to overturn the entire legislation.

They are still working on the precise ballot language, Klahr said, so the "objectionable" passages are still being debated.

Both efforts require the signatures of 76,682 registered voters within 90 days of the end of the legislative session. With the Legislature working toward an adjournment today, 4/29 that would mean petitions would be due at the end of July.

But the later the petitions come in, the slimmer the chance of qualifying for the November ballot.

That's because the Secretary of State and the county recorders need time to verify the voter signatures, said Matthew Benson, a spokesman for Secretary of State Ken Bennett. Benson said he can't name a hard and fast deadline to qualify for this fall's ballot, but said the earlier the petitions come in, the better the chances.

If organizers fail to make the November ballot, the measure would go before voters in the November 2012 general election

. However, the mere filing of the petitions would put the law on hold until it could get before voters in November 2012.

Arizona immigration law revives calls for federal action on reform

(Posted Uriel Rivera)

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/04/24/20100424arizona-immigration-bill-federal-action.html
WASHINGTON - Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigrants has thrust the dormant issue of immigration reform back into the national spotlight.

Immigrant-rights advocates are showing a renewed urgency to push Congress and President Barack Obama to adopt a federal law combining tough enforcement with a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.

Obama said Friday that he agrees that the federal government must act to avoid "irresponsibility by others." He called Arizona's law "misguided" and instructed the Justice Department to examine whether the bill is a violation of civil rights.

"The recent efforts in Arizona ... threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe," Obama said at a ceremony in which immigrants on active duty for the U.S. military were sworn in as U.S. citizens.

Arizona governor signs immigration law; foes promise fight

(Posted by Uriel Rivera)
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/04/23/20100423arizona-immigration-law-passed.html

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer today signed into law an immigration bill that gives the state toughest law in the nation, making it a state crime to be in the country illegally and requiring local police to enforce federal immigration laws.

Brewer said she signed the bill in response to "the crisis the federal government has refused to fix.''

Hispanic leaders addressing the hundreds of protesters at the Capitol immediately vowed to wage a legal fight, and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said he wants the city to sue.

The new immigration law will require anyone whom police suspect of being in the country illegally to produce "an alien registration document," such as a green card

, or other proof of citizenship such as a passport or Arizona driver's license.

It also makes it illegal to impede the flow of traffic by picking up day laborers for work. A day laborer who gets picked up for work, thus impeding traffic, would also be committing a criminal act.

Gordon criticized Brewer's action.

"The governor clearly knows that her actions not only have split the state, but will now cause severe economic hardship to all our businesses at a time when we can't afford any losses. The executive order isn't worth the paper it's written on."

Gordon said the executive order to AZ POST would be unenforceable; called it "an attempt to solve this problem with smoke and mirrors."

Arizona House panel changes, advances immigration bill

(Posted by Uriel Rivera)

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/03/31/20100331arizona-immigration-bill-advances.html

A wide-ranging immigration proposal in the state Legislature continues to attract advocates from both sides of the issue.

During a committee hearing Wednesday, the advocates rallied on the Capitol lawn. Some held signs, others wore yellow T-shirts. They made desperate pleas to lawmakers and sent thousands of postcards to the governor.

They all have a lot at stake: Senate Bill 1070 could bring Arizona the toughest immigration laws in the nation.

The bill would, among other things, make it a state crime to be in the country illegally. It would require law enforcement to check immigration status as well as enforce federal immigration laws. It also would make it a crime in some cases to pick up a day laborer or be picked up as a day laborer.

And although the Senate passed the bill in February, concerns about wording and legal impacts lingered. The sponsor, Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, has spent time since working with the Governor's Office, attorneys and stakeholders to further tweak the language.