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PHOENIX — Hispanic activists lashed out Wednesday at state lawmakers who voted to require local police and sheriff’s departments to implement a program to address violations of federal immigration laws.
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The result is that the only way to kill the measure now is to convince Gov. Janet Napolitano to veto it.
The organization, whose name translates to “We Are America,’’ asked Napolitano to do just that, saying that mandating such programs will only increase racial profiling. They also called i “a divisive bill’’ that polarizes the state between “the pro-immigrant reformers and the anti-immigrant groups infiltrated by hate organizations like the neo-Nazis and KKK.’’
Napolitano said she has not yet made a decision on the fate of the to sign or veto it.
But Rep. Tom Prezelski, D-Tucson, said the governor should sign it. He said the legislation is nowhere near as onerous as foes would believe.
“The bill does very little,’’ he said. In fact, Prezelski said, local law enforcement agencies can comply with the provisions by doing as little as establishing “operational relationships’’ with federal agencies to help determine if individuals are in this country legally.
Sen. Amanda Aguirre, D-Yuma, said the experience in her county proves those relationships are valuable.
“That communication has been strategic in finding when there are illegal immigrants who are criminals,’’ she said. Aguirre said the result has been reducing gang activity, trafficking in narcotics “and finding some really bad people out there.’’
But the real key, said Prezelski, is that approval of this measure might undermine efforts by some legislators to get voters to pass a far more comprehensive measure being pushed by Rep.
Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, one that would actually empower all local police officers to arrest anyone in this country illegally.
Prezelski called HCR 2039 “absolutely ridiculous.’’
None of that convinced Guzman.
“We know that there was some negotiation that was done,’’ she said of the concept of supporting HB 2807 as an alternative to the trespass measure.
“We’re very saddened to see that some of the legislators did not take the time to ask the community on how this would affect the real lives of human beings,’’ Guzman continued. “They’re taking it upon themselves to make these decisions that are affecting our communities,’’ added Luz Santiago.
“And we need to put a stop to them,’’ she said. “We need to send a message to all the legislators that, ‘Hey, we’re the ones who put you in and we’re the ones that can vote you out.’ ‘’
The legislation mandates that city and county law enforcemen agencies must have a program to deal with violations of federal immigration laws.
But its wording gives agencies a menu of options.
One — the one that upsets Guzman and allies — involves having officers get special federal training to allow them to actually enforce federal immigration laws. That’s the kind of certification which Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio ha obtained for some of his deputies.
Those deputies have been involved in “sweeps’’ of some neighborhoods, looking for people committing minor violations like traffic offenses so they can be stopped and questioned about their presence in this country.
Guzman said there first needs to be an investigation of that agreement to determine if the activities violate the civil rights of the people they stop.
The legislation, however, also allows agencies to comply by embedding federal immigration officers within their agencies. Or they can simply establish those “operational relationships’’ with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Pearce measure, however, expands state laws against trespass to include anyone who is in this country legally, whether on public or private property, in essence giving all police officers the power to arrest them.
Both bills contain identical provisions which prohibit cities from enacting policies that prohibit public employees from sending information to or receiving information from federal agencies about whether an individual is an illegal immigrant.
That would include not just people picked up by police but individuals applying for licenses and benefits that are permitted only to legal U.S. residents.
House Minority Leader Phil Lopes, D-Tucson, said he believes th bill does not require police to do anything they don’t want to do. “It gives them the option,’’ he said.
Lopes said, though, his decision to support the measure was political.
“I voted for this because I got a lot of constituent pushing,’’ he said.
But Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, said he realized “after looking at this bill closely’’ he made a mistake voting for it.
Comments
m wrote on Apr 29, 2008 3:12 PM:
Allen Farlow wrote on Apr 27, 2008 3:18 PM:
Anyone who is pro-illegal immigration is also pro human smuggling and helping to continue that nightmare treatment of people. They also are pro-drug smuggling. Don't try to hide behind trying to improve someone's life. You are only encouraging people to commit crimes.
You activists keep yelling about how Mexicans are mistreated. Keep pushing us. But know this: White America is fed up. Bring on the next Mexican-American war. "
ralph wrote on Apr 26, 2008 3:37 PM:
Comments like that make me want to support the anti illegal side even more. We have a right to want people to follow the rules with out being called racist by those who do not want to follow the rules.
How does Mexico treat those who are illegally in their country? How do they treat visitors who protest for rights and citizenship? "
MB wrote on Apr 26, 2008 2:39 PM:
i hate seeing nice people live in fear...but we americans have been put in a horrible situation due to illegal immigration. we want them all removed, but also don't like seeing people suffer.
"
NJ Low Rider wrote on Apr 26, 2008 7:41 AM:
Thank You! "
mellesio lopez wrote on Apr 25, 2008 11:39 PM:
Pancho wrote on Apr 25, 2008 3:51 PM:
Mexico has a caste system that is based on ethnic purity, Europeans at the top and the Indigenous at the bottom, and Mestizos are somewhere in-between based on skin color and ethnic purity. Just look at how the Zapatistas, who are Indigenos, are treated. "
Tom wrote on Apr 25, 2008 11:23 AM:
Pancho wrote on Apr 25, 2008 9:32 AM:
The proponents of selective enforcement feel that all of the laws should be enforced equally, regardless of race, religion, and/or national origin. That is with the exception of those who look and sound like them, and they should be above the law and exempt from the law.
Hitler would be proud of the nuevo-brownshirts!
"
MJB wrote on Apr 25, 2008 6:55 AM: