What do refried beans and swastikas have in common? Protestors smeared the beans in the shape of swastikas all over the windows of the Arizona capital building to express their dissatisfaction with the state's new immigration policy.
Protests like this have been going on all over Arizona since the passage of Senate Bill 1070, which tightens immigration policy significantly. The new law requires police to investigate someone's immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" that the person may be in the country illegally. People who don't have papers proving they are citizens would be arrested.
This law is backward, racist and will do very little to improve the illegal immigration situation in Arizona.
First, there is no way to tell based on looking at a person if they are an illegal immigrant. The law does not prohibit police from using race or ethnicity to determine who they wish to question, and there is no doubt that Mexicans—whether here illegally or not—will be disproportionately affected by this bill. Latinos legally in this country will be forced to constantly carry around proof of citizenship and run the risk of being arrested if they forget their wallet when they leave the house.
Secondly, this law will take police resources away from more vital public safety issues and instead force them to focus on largely harmless people who work to support the economy and play an important part in the economy of the state. The law allows citizens to sue a city or county for not stopping enough undocumented immigrants, and this clause effectively makes stopping illegal immigrants a top police priority. Police resources are better spent elsewhere.
If the state of Arizona wishes to seriously stop the illegal immigration problem they not only need to target the workers but also their employers. As long as the punishments affect workers more than their emplpoyers, the market for their labor will continue to exist, and they will still flock over the border.
Reach The Spectator editorial board at opinion@su-spectator.com
Editorial: Arizona immigration law will lead to racial profiling
Published: Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 21:04
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2 comments
Illegal immigrants work to support our economy? They pay taxes and pay into our social security system? Last time I checked they were draining the economy. They send our U.S. dollars to mexico and other countries to circulate there. How the hell does that support our economy? It drains our economy and puts the country into debt. Look at California.... why do you think they have so much debt right now and their economy is getting drained. I think they should pass a similar law and see what happens. Why do you think Arizona passed this law in the first place.... i'm willing to be a major reason was that the illegal immigrants were draining their state's economy. Tell me how illegals play an important role in the economy of the state. I'm interested to hear how they "support" the economy. Another thing.... you said they're "harmless". Did you know that MS-13 is one of the largest most organized crime syndicates in the United States? They murder, traffic drugs, and are mostly made up of illegal immigrants from South America. How do illegal immigrants from south america get here? Hmmm.... I wonder... maybe through Arizona and Texas. Now they can catch them for a crime and deport them out of here. Tell me where police resources are better spent then stopping gangs and organized crime caused largely by illegal immigrants. Whoever wrote this article needs to do some research and quit being ignorant. I challenge you to watch the economy in Arizona and see if it gets better or worse in the next few years after this law. I can pretty much guarantee you the crime rate will go down and the economy will improve. And don't write stupid articles when you obviously know nothing about the law.... or the crime statistics.... or anything about the economic status in Arizona and the effect illegal immigration has on it.